Team Pariah
by microzombie
Summary: Konohagakure no Sato. They claim to be the kindest of the Five Greats. But everyone needs something to blame. Someone's head has to roll. When the Uchiha defects from Konoha, Kakashi is removed from his position as Team Seven's sensei. Who will replace him? And where will their new leader take them?
1. Sensei Status REVOKED!

**So...here's that rewrite just like I promised! I hope you like it!**

**If you're new here, then welcome! I hope you enjoy my work, and that you're not here to flame my (admittedly pretty lonely) ass!**

"I'll bring him back Sakura! That's the promise of a lifetime!" Naruto Uzumaki gave his pink haired teammate a thumbs up and followed after his team in pursuit of the Sound Four and Sasuke Uchiha.

As Sakura Haruno watched him disappear into the distance she couldn't help, but smile.

_'He'll bring him back. There's no way he won't.'_

"Come on Sakura. I've got something for you to do."

Sakura turned and followed Tsunade Senju back to the Hokage's Tower.

"I couldn't bring him back..." Sakura slumped against the door of Naruto's hospital room as her blonde teammate reported to Jiraiya and Tsunade. Taking a breath of air, Sakura opened the door, and began to give her teammate his spirit back.

As the two genin were in the hospital mourning together, their jounin sensei was in front of the Konoha Combined Council.

The Konoha Combined Council was a council made up of the shinobi clans. That being, Hiashi Hyuuga, Tsume Inuzuka, Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, and Chouza Akimichi. The representative of the Fire Daimyo, the Merchant Guild chairman, and the clan heads of the largest civilian clans. Those being Haruno, Uzuki, and Taka.

The council sat behind a raised desk.

Normally the Hokage would have sat at the center of the desk, but she was busy tending to Neji Hyuuga.

Kakashi Hatake stood at attention before the council. In the absence of the Hokage, Shikaku Nara, the Jounin Commander, took over. He slammed a gavel down onto the desk.

"This emergency meeting of Konohagakure's Combined Council is called to order. The reason for this meeting is Sasuke Uchiha's recent defection to the traitorous sannin, Orochimaru. Jounin Hatake was Uchiha's jounin-sensei, and allowed this to happen. He is being charged with dereliction of duty. Hatake, how do you plead?"

Kakashi inwardly sighed. No matter what he said they'd probably convict him, since someone's head had to roll for Sasuke's defection. But he also had to be there for his remaining genin. Naruto and Sakura would be hit hard by this.

_'Those who abandon their friends are worse than trash.'_

With those words in mind, Kakashi spoke much more confidently than he felt.

"Not guilty, commander."

Shikaku nodded.

"Very well. Haruno-dono. Your evidence of Hatake's dereliction of duty?"

Mebuki Haruno nodded and stood with a glare in Kakashi's direction.

"My daughter, Sakura Haruno, is, _was_, on the Uchiha's team. According to her testimony, Kakashi was repeatedly tardy to his team meetings, and several times did not show up at all. He allowed his genin to founder until they came under S-Rank threat before finally giving them meager training. Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha consistently fought each other outside of spars, and, at one point, used A-Rank assassination jutsu on each other. My daughter was almost injured before Hatake finally stepped in. All of this contributed to the Uchiha's defection."

Mebuki sat back down. Shikaku nodded.

"Very well. Kakashi. Your defence?"

Kakashi cleared his throat.

"While I admit I'm tardy to most events, I always showed up to the team meetings sooner or later. It's a matter of how long Sakura was willing to wait. Naruto Uzumaki will give testimony that I always showed up, even after Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno left. The matter of the S-Rank threat is highly classified for several reasons, but the parts that aren't covered in black ink clearly state that the mission started out as a C-Rank that was only labelled as such because it was outside the village. Intelligence suggested that we wouldn't even encounter bandits. I allowed my team to take it to get their feet wet. I had planned to teach them tree walking anyway, and it just happened to coincide with the mission. As for Sasuke's and Naruto's rivalry, well, they are very common among shinobi. Especially young and talented ones such as those two. I myself have one with Maito Gai. The matter of the assassination jutsu was promptly handled by myself and Jiraiya-sama. We both heavily reprimanded our students. I reprimanded Sasuke. Jiraiya-sama punished Naruto. Sasuke Uchiha defected as a result for his lust for power."

The shinobi side seemed satisfied, but the civilians were unconvinced.

Taka stood now.

"So you openly admit to knowing that Uchiha-sama had sociopathic tendencies. Why did you not report this to Hokage-sama?"

Kakashi nodded.

"When the mental problems became apparent, Hokage-sama was busy with a war. I believed I could fix the problem on my own. I hadn't realized how far it had gone."

The Uzuki clan head stood now.

"So you don't have a good grasp on your team's abilities?"

Kakashi almost glared at the civilian before he caught himself.

"A commander is supposed to be detached from his troops, so that, if need be, he can order them to their deaths_._ I know my team's abilities just fine, but I'm not supposed to take an interest in their personal lives. If they have a problem they can most assuredly come to me, but, frankly, the mental problems should have been noticed by the Psychiatric Team."

The council had no response for this, and exchanged glances.

"Kakashi Hatake. You are dismissed for the time being while the council deliberates. Stay available."

Kakashi nodded and left in a shunshin.

Tsunade Senju sighed as she finished healing Neji Hyuuga's wounds. He would be bedridden for several weeks, but he would live.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune burst through the doors. Tsunade groaned in annoyance as she turned her gaze on her apprentice.

"Chouji Akimichi's condition is improving rapidly. He's not out of the woods yet, but I'd give him a seventy percent chance of survival!"

Tsunade smiled thinly.

"Very good. Inform Shikamaru of his team's condition. He seemed to be in rough shape when I came in here."

Shizune nodded and ran out. Tsunade wiped sweat from her forehead as a pair of mednins rolled Neji out on a gurney, heading for the Intensive Care Unit. An ANBU shunshined into the room.

"Hokage-sama."

Tsunade sighed for the fourth time in as many minutes.

"Yes? What is it, Neko?"

The female ANBU was kneeling.

"Okami-senpai thought you would like to be informed that Kakashi Hatake has been removed from his post as Team Seven's jounin-sensei. The council has charged him with dereliction of duty, and he was demoted to tokubetsu jounin as punishment."

Tsunade growled.

"Tell Okami to meet me in my office. As well as Shikaku."

Neko nodded.

"As you command Hokage-sama."

The ANBU disappeared into the floor, and Tsunade sighed once again as she ran a hand over her face. This day just kept getting better, and better.

Anko Mitarashi gnawed on a dango stick as she stood guard next to the Hokage's office. Some kind of meeting was taking place, and it was big enough that Neko from ANBU had nabbed her and asked her to stand guard. Said swordswoman was on the right side of the door, since Anko was on the left. Inside the office was Kakashi Hatake, the ANBU commander, Shikaku Nara, and the boob queen herself, Tsunade Senju.

"So, Neko, what's so important that so much firepower is gathered at one spot?" Anko threw the dango stick and embedded it in a nearby secretary's desk. Much to the secretary's annoyance, but what did Anko care?

Meanwhile, Neko was quiet.

"Aw come on, Neko! What's so awesome?!"

Neko was silent.

"Please?"

Neko shook her head.

"Come ooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnn..." Anko whined childishly. Neko's eye twitched behind her mask.

_'Why am I friends with Anko again?'_ Neko thought as she began contemplating how to get away with murdering the interrogator. Anko kept annoying the ANBU to amuse herself, until the door opened.

"Ahem..."

Anko shut her mouth and Neko turned to see Shikaku standing in the doorway.

"Anko. Come in here please."

The kunoichi complied and Shikaku shut the door behind himself as he left. In the corner, Kakashi was looking glum, and angry at the same time. Okami disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Anko stood at parade rest in front of the Hokage. Tsunade sat down.

"Now then. Anko, Kakashi has been removed from his position as sensei of Team Seven."

Anko turned to look at the scarecrow and the reprimanded ninja nodded.

"As such, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno, both need a new sensei."

Realization dawned on Anko's face.

"And you want me to do that?"

Tsunade nodded.

"It's not mandatory Anko, but Kakashi requested that you be placed as their sensei."

Anko shot a bewildered look to the copy ninja, but he made a _'I'll tell you later'_ gesture.

Anko took on a thoughtful look.

"Who would get them if I don't take them? And who is the third team member if I do?"

Tsunade nodded.

"Well if you don't take them, then they'll be put in the reserves. As for team members, I'll give you a choice. Pick whoever you want as long as they're a genin not assigned to anyone, and you can have them."

Anko nodded and stroked her chin.

"Can I have a while to think about it?"

Tsunade nodded.

"Naruto is on medical leave for at least a week, and Sakura will be on leave as well, since her teammate is out of commision, and the other is a traitor."

Anko sighed.

"You'll have my answer before the week is out Hokage-sama."

Tsunade smiled.

"Thank you Anko. Dismissed."

Anko gave a lazy salute and disappeared with a shunshin.

Tsunade turned to Kakashi.

"So. Why'd you pick her?"

Kakashi sighed and scratched his head.

"Two reasons. One, she's the only person I trust with my students that doesn't already have a genin team."

Tsunade rearranged the paperwork on her desk.

"And the second?"

Kakashi leaned against the wall and looked out of the window as rain began pouring down from the sky.

"We all know how hateful this village can be when it wants."

Tsunade put down her pen and looked at Kakashi.

"Go get some rest Kakashi."

The jounin gave a lazy salute and disappeared, leaving Tsunade alone in the office.

_The next afternoon_

Sakura yawned as she left the hospital. She'd slept there the night before and she spent her time with Naruto today, and was actually tired from keeping him entertained.

_'Gotta get milk and bread from the store before I head home...'_ Sakura inwardly groaned. That was twenty minutes out of her way. As Sakura walked through the village she became increasingly aware of people looking at her out of the corner of their eyes. But Sakura ignored it, as she entered the small grocery store her family used. She waved to the cashier, but the sixteen year old civilian girl turned away slightly.

_'What's wrong with everyone?'_ Sakura frowned as she walked towards the frozen goods near the back of the store. With a carton of milk in hand Sakura walked towards the grains. As she stooped looking for the brand of bread her family bought she heard a couple people mumbling in the next aisle over. It was a pair of civilian women in their twenties.

"Yeah. I heard the fox boy and that pink haired girl on the team with him were the ones responsible. Tatsu said that they both had a chance to stop him, but they told him to leave."

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she continued eavesdropping.

"Well what do you want from the demon boy? He's probably controlling that poor girl's mind or something..."

"I doubt it. Her mother's a council member. She probably did it so her family could have more power."

"Probably."

The women walked off, and Sakura stood dumbfounded.

_'Why is it my fault that Sasuke-kun left?'_

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as she walked towards the checkout counter.

_'As much as I hate to admit it...Sasuke-kun left on his own free will...he even tried to kill Naruto with the Chidori...twice...'_

Sakura had forced Naruto to tell her the story of the battle, and she'd been struck stupid when the blonde had told her about Sasuke's attempt to kill Naruto.

As she reached the counter the teenager running the register didn't meet her eyes, as she rang up Sakura's purchase. Aki Nagumo was usually very friendly with Sakura.

"Aki...is something wrong?"

The cashier shook her head quietly.

"No Sakura-san. There isn't." The girls voice was monotone as she put the bread and milk in bags.

"Well...ok then. Goodbye Aki."

"Goodbye Sakura-san."

Sakura frowned. This was all very strange. Sakura stuck her receipt in her pocket without looking at it. If she had, she would have noticed that she was charged double.  
-

Anko sat on top of a water tower and watched the Haruno girl walk home.

_'Poor girls oblivious...'_

Anko thought as she watched the subtle stares the genin was starting to get. Rumors were already spreading. Anko slightly glared at the civilians.

_'Dumbasses...just because someone is associated with someone else doesn't make them the same!'_

Anko snarled inside her head, as she noticed a couple of the more courageous villagers glare at Sakura when the fourteen year old wasn't looking.

_'Son of a bitch! Now I see why Kakashi wanted me to take over for him. These kids are putting on my shoes and are getting ready to run a marathon in them...'_

Anko sighed as she shunshined to her next observation point.

Naruto lay down in his hospital bed as he watched out of the window. A storm was brewing, and the window was open. He went to get up, but hissed in pain when he tried to move his legs. Naruto opted to hit the button for a nurse's assistance instead. He heard the buzzer sound, but no one came, so after a couple minutes he hit it again. No response. Naruto sighed, and laid his head down.

_'Screw it. I'm tired...'_

Naruto closed his eyes to go to sleep as lightning flashed outside and rain began to fall.

_Dream Sequence_

_Naruto was once again standing on the head of Hashirama Senju. Sasuke was smirking at him from across the Valley of the End._

_"Dobe, you don't get it do you? I _want _to go to Orochimaru. He'll give me the power to kill my brother."_

_Naruto shouted back with ferocity._

_"You can get that in Konoha, dammit! What? Are you gonna kill Itachi and then come crawling back on your hands and knees? Where are you going to build your family?!"_

_Sasuke scoffed._

_"I'm an Uchiha. Any village will take me in if I promise to impregnate their kunoichi. Even Konoha has sent a team to retrieve me by force. A team of genin. Which showcases how weak you really are."_

_Naruto bared his teeth ferally as Kyuubi's yokai began to circulate in his chakra system._

_"Sasuke..." _

_Suddenly Sasuke smirked._

_"So I was right. You are a demon."_

_That knocked the breath out of Naruto._

_"No..."_

_Sasuke's smirk turned into a grin._

_"Yes, Dobe. You are. You don't think I've heard the whispers? You don't think our entire genin class has?!"_

_Naruto shook his head._

_"They're only your friends, because they're afraid of what will happen if they aren't!" Sasuke's grin became insane._

_"But! Shikamaru, Kiba, and I hung out before anyone else!"_

_Sasuke nodded._

_"Clan heirs! They're under orders from their parents Dobe! How stupid could you be?!"_

_Naruto screamed in rage as he leapt at Sasuke with a Rasengan in hand. Sasuke charged up a Chidori and jumped at Naruto as well. _

_The back blast from the jutsus cancelling each other out threw both ninja into the statues, but Sasuke recovered first. He picked up Naruto by his jacket and smirked._

_"Die Naruto!"_

_He slammed a Chidori into Naruto's chest. Naruto screamed in pain._

_"Yes Naruto! Scream!"_

_Naruto weakly grabbed Sasuke's wrist._

_"Sasuke..."_

_"What Gaki?"_

_Naruto was bewildered... _'Gaki?'

_Sasuke opened his mouth._

_"Wake up Gaki!"_

_Sasuke dropped Naruto into the water and walked away._

_Dream sequence over_

Naruto sat straight up in bed with sweat running down his face, and soaking into his bandages. He was immediately met with a slap to the back of his head.

"Are you stupid Gaki?" A female voice scolded Naruto. The blonde rubbed the back of his head and turned to see Anko standing next to him with her arms crossed. It was night outside, and the lights in Naruto's room were on. The previously open window was now closed.

"Anko-sensei..."

"Don't 'Anko-sensei' me, dumbass. Why'd you leave the window open. It's cold as hell and storming outside..." Anko's voice was degrading.

Naruto shrugged.

"I couldn't get out of bed to close it, and my nurse didn't come when I hit the button for assistance."

Anko's eye twitched, and she looked at Naruto's IV. It was completely empty.

_'Assholes...'_ Anko thought as she sighed.

"Alright Gaki. Don't be so stupid next time. Just bug the hell out of them until they come and help. Later, Gaki."

Anko walked out of the room, and Naruto frowned.

_'Since when does she care about genin?'_

Naruto laid his head back down and listened to rain pelt the closed window.

Meanwhile Anko stood in front of the reception desk.

"Can I ask who the nurse is for room 206?"

The nurse slightly scowled and opened her mouth to make a smart comment, but Anko glared and cut her off.

"Ninja business."

The nurse rolled her eyes and opened a logbook.

"Nezumi Kitsuchi."

Anko walked away without thanking the nurse and set out to find Naruto's nurse. She eventually found her at the second floor nurse's station. Exactly where she was supposed to be.

"Kitsuchi-san?" Anko had her hands in her pockets. The red headed nurse looked up.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you answer Uzumaki's calls for assistance?"

Nezumi scowled.

"Why should I help that thing? The idiot failed to bring back Uchiha-sama."

Anko glared hard at the nurse.

"Listen up. Next time you refuse to help someone, I'll have Kenji Saito down here."

The nurse's face sobered. The chief medical ninja was a known supporter of Uzumaki, and a stickler for regulations.

Anko continued.

"Uzumaki-gaki's IV is empty. I suggest you change it quickly."

Anko began turning to walk away before turning back.

"And if this in anyway blows back on Uzumaki-gaki."

The Snake Mistress slammed a kunai into the other woman's desk.

"You'll bleed from your uterus, and it'll have nothing to do with your period."

Leaving the knife in the desk, Anko turned and walked away while whistling a happy tune.

**Leave a review please. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.**

***ALERT:Twenty man points lost! Cause: Being a sap!***

**WHAT?! TWENTY?!**

***ALERT: Forty man points lost! Cause: Being a whiny bitch!***

**AW FACK YOU!**

***ALERT: Sixty man points lost! Cause: Question your overlord motherfucker...***

**...I don't know what to say to that. Anyway yeah...leave a review please.**

**DON'T SPOOK THE HORDE**

**Microzombie**


	2. SAY WHAT!

**Hey again guys. Microzombie here, and I need YOU for the U.S. Army...wait no I don't...my bad...I need YOU get me a cover image for this thing! The current cover image is my profile picture if you hadn't noticed, and I need something to put in the book cover slot. I've looked online and nothing I've found works **

***facedesk***

**If you're interested PM me on here, or on my DeviantART, Microzombie01. The only reason for this is that Team Seven are all getting outfit changes as well as a new member. So...yeah. If you decide to send one, PM me so I can fill you in : )**

** Whoever decides to send one gets an internet cookie.**

**NOW! MY BEGGING FOR ASSISTANCE SHALL BE CAST ASIDE! **

**ENJOY THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

"Bye, mom! I'll see you this afternoon!" Sakura yelled as she pulled on her sandals.

"Ok, honey! Be careful today! Tell Naruto-kun I said hello!" Mebuki yelled back from her room.

Sakura once again smiled that her family accepted Naruto.

"I will!"

Sakura tied on her headband and walked outside and turned right towards the outskirts of Konoha where her team tended to meet.

* * *

Naruto groaned as he stretched. He was already on his feet, and in his shinobi gear. The bandages on his face were taken off the day before, but the bandages on his chest and hands were still present. When he walked outside Shizune smiled.

"Be careful today, Naruto-kun. Don't strain yourself, alright?"

Naruto grinned and nodded.

"You got it nee-chan."

Shizune smiled again before walking off on her rounds. Naruto stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he walked towards the stairs. As he passed the nurses station the red headed nurse there, her name tag read _Nezumi_, averted her eyes quickly. Naruto didn't know what happened, but after the night Anko woke him up the nurse had started being very attentive, and seemed even slightly intimidated by him.

Naruto sighed. It was a start of people accepting him, but she still seemed to have a problem with him. She was most likely under orders. Naruto walked outside into the scorching heat of Konoha. He took off his jacket and threw it over his shoulder before walking towards his team's meeting spot. The blonde ninja grinned.

"Time to get Sasuke back!"

Naruto jogged towards the meeting point so as to get started as soon as possible.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura showed up at the same time.

"Good to see you up, Naruto." Sakura smiled at her blonde teammate, and Naruto grinned back.

"Hey, you know me, Sakura-chan. Can't keep me down."

Sakura's eyes narrowed and a smile thinned to a sly smirk.

"I know. I've tried."

Naruto looked downcast, and Sakura laughed.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei is probably going to be late again. Let's go find something to do while we wait."

As Naruto and Sakura turned to walk away, since Kakashi wouldn't arrive for a few more hours, a voice came from above them.

"I'm surprised at how little faith you guys have in me." Kakashi sounded melodramatic. Naruto and Sakura looked up. They both brought together a ram seal and yelled

"Release!"

Their eyes bugged when Kakashi was still there.

"Release!" Sakura and Naruto tried again. Kakashi looked more bored than usual.

"Uh, guys..."

"Release, release, release! Sakura-chan this is a real strong genjutsu!" Naruto cried, and Sakura nodded intently.

"Try physical pain!"

Kakashi dropped down and bopped the genin on their heads.

"I'm real. Now come on. I've got some news."

Team Seven walked to their training grounds, stopping at Ichiraku Ramen on the way for some take out.

"Now, we're just gonna sit here a while. You'll start training in a bit." Kakashi broke his chopsticks and sat down with his ramen. Sakura and Naruto did the same as they started talking about how they would get Sasuke back.

As they sat on the ground in Training Ground Seven Kakashi looked sadly at his genin laughing and carrying on.

_'Those bastards. Taking away my genin...karma's a real bitch, you wrinkly old motherfuckers!'_ Kakashi snarled inside his mind. On the outside he eye-smiled and nodded when Naruto asked him if they would start training soon. As they finished their ramen, Kakashi felt a presence in the trees behind Naruto. Kakashi sighed.

_'It's time. I'm sorry, you two.'_

"Naruto, Sakura."

Both of the genin looked at Kakashi.

"Before we do this, I want you two to know that I couldn't be more proud of you. You've grown a lot in the past year, and, I can honestly say I couldn't have asked for a better team of genin."

Sakura looked confused.

"Sensei, why are you speaking in past tense?"

Kakashi sighed.

"I was removed from my position as your sensei."

"What!" Naruto and Sakura screamed their eyes bugging.

"Why?! What have you done?! You're awesome, sensei! Is it something we did?! Can we fix it?!" Naruto was frantic. Kakashi shook his head sadly.

"They blame me for Sasuke leaving." Kakashi silenced Naruto with a raised hand.

"Someone's head had to roll, and it happened to be mine. In fact I'm glad it's mine rather than Shikamaru's or yours Naruto." Kakashi sighed again.

"But don't worry. Tsunade-sama allowed me to pick your new sensei. You're very lucky to be training under this person. She's a very good friend of mine, and I think you'll like her. Come on out."

A kunai flew by Naruto's face and cut a thin cut across it. Sakura's and Naruto's eyes widened when they realized who their new sensei was. Naruto felt someone lean over his shoulder and lick the blood off of his cut.

"Hey, Gaki. Your blood is as tasty as always."

Naruto whirled and Anko Mitarashi was standing there with a grin.

"The Crazy Snake Lady is our new sensei?!" Naruto was incredulous.

"Now, Naruto. Anko is a very good ninja. You should be glad to have her as your sensei. She's almost as good as I am." Kakashi eye smiled. Anko smiled wickedly.

"Almost? I'm pretty sure I'm better than you are. In bed and out."

Naruto and Sakura blushed fiercely, as Kakashi chuckled nervously.

"Well...I wouldn't know. I've never been in bed with you, so...yeah." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. Anko was about to make another smart comment when Kakashi's visible eye sent her a message.

_'Get serious.'_

Anko mentally sighed and nodded before sitting on the ground next to Kakashi.

"Yeah. I'm your new sensei. Don't worry I'll take real good care of you." Anko grinned. To Naruto and Sakura it was just scary, but to Kakashi there was a hint of sincerity in there as well.

"Well. I've got other duties, now, and I'm later than usual for them. Take care of them, Anko. I'll see you guys later." Kakashi eye-smiled and shunshined away before he could fly off the handle and go murder the council. Anko grinned, but inwardly winced.

_'Something tells me Gai and I are gonna have to drag him out of a holding cell for public drunkenness...'_

Anko grinned at her new students, who just seemed angry and terrified at the same time.

"Well. You know the drill. Let's introduce ourselves. Don't say for me to go first, either. Blondie you go."

Naruto moved away his empty ramen bowl.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like ramen, training, and Sakura-chan. I dislike the time it takes for ramen to cook, and when people come between me and my friends," that was said with a glare at Anko who shrugged it off, "my current goal is bring Sasuke-teme back to Konoha. My dream is become Hokage."

Anko seemed to be deep in thought for a few moments before she turned to Sakura.

"Pinkie."

Sakura looked at Naruto.

"My name is Sakura Haruno. I like Naruto, Kakashi...er...san..., and my friends. I dislike it when people are mean. My current goal is to help Naruto bring Sasuke-kun back to Konoha. My dream is to...erm..." Sakura got a slight nosebleed and Naruto facepalmed as Anko snickered. After reading the girls file Anko had an idea of what, or rather _who,_ she was thinking about.

Anko nodded.

"Alrighty. My name is Anko Mitarashi. I like Dango, dango buffets, and dango smorgasbords. I dislike stuck up assholes. My current goal is to train you guys to be the most kick-ass ninja Konoha has ever seen. My dream...that's personal..."

Naruto squawked.

"Hey! We told you ours!"

Anko glared.

"Actually no. You spouted off your usual speech about becoming Hokage, and Pinkie just had a daydream of being taken from behind by the newest traitor. I have _no_ obligation to tell you _shit_, Gaki! Be happy you know my fuckin' name!" Anko snarled.

_'Don't kill them, Anko.'_ The snake user took a deep breath, and calmed herself.

"Now. Give me an overview of your skills. Gaki, you first."

Naruto rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I can use **Shadow Clones**, **Rasengan**, **Replacement**, and **Transformation. **I can water walk pretty good, and have the **Toad Contract** from Pervy Sage." Naruto finished.

"Pinkie."

Sakura nodded.

"I can do the Academy three jutsu, and I can water walk really well."

Anko waited for Sakura to finish. They sat there for thirty seconds before the interrogator realized Sakura was done.

"That's _it_. All you can do is the Academy three?!" Anko roared before facepalming at Sakura's meek expression.

"Well..."

Anko's eye began twitching.

"Were you to busy lubing up your ass for the the Uchiha? Maybe fingering yourself to a photo of him?!"

Naruto stood up.

"Don't talk to her that way!"

Anko stood and turned to face him.

"You wanna fight about it, Gaki?! Prove me wrong that she isn't just dead weight!"

Naruto thought for a second, and Anko seemed to be right.

"In the Forest of Death she held off an entire squad of Oto ninja while me and Sasuke were knocked out!"

Anko raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? From the report on it, it seems like she held her own for a total of ten seconds until she got the shit kicked out of her, and Gai's star student came in to help. A few minutes after that an entire team of Konoha Rookies showed up, and you still only won because the Uchiha woke up and used an illegal power."

Naruto was gaping. When Anko spoke her voice was degrading.

"What? Did you think we weren't watching every move that was made in the Forest of Death? Hm? Do you really think we'd allow that much foreign firepower to roam free without any type of surveillance? There are cameras all over the place in there."

Naruto rose again to defend his crush when a quiet voice stopped him.

"She's right, Naruto."

The blonde turned to see Sakura with tears in her eyes.

"But Sakura-chan!"

Sakura shook her head.

"She's right! I've been nothing but a liability in all of our missions. In Wave, when you were fighting Gaara, when Sasuke was leaving with the Oto ninja! I've been useless!"

Naruto didn't know what to say.

"Well it's my job to fix that."

Both genin turned to see Anko with her hands in her pockets.

"We're starting now. Gaki, go over there and start taijutsu. I want five hundred kicks and a thousand punches on that log before I'm finished with Pinkie today."

Naruto nodded and ran over to a log. The blonde started his taijutsu.

"Pinkie. Come with me. You're doing something completely different." Sakura followed Anko to a tree.

"You're tree walking. All day every day until I say different. Get started." Anko walked away as Sakura stared after her.

"Why?"

Anko whirled and punched Sakura to the ground.

"Don't question your sensei! Just do what the fuck I say!"

Sakura stared at Anko with her mouth open as her hand touched a forming bruise.

"You hit me?"

Anko rolled her eyes.

"No shit!"

The purple haired kunoichi was about to continue when she reached over her shoulder and grabbed Naruto's incoming fist. The Snake Mistress slammed the blonde onto the ground and put her knee on his throat. Naruto pushed on her knee as she put more weight on his neck.

"You know, attacking a superior officer is a capital offence, Gaki. I could execute you right now, and have no consequences." Anko reached for a kunai.

"In fact, I think I will. One less loud mouth brat to deal with."

A fist from Sakura crashed into Anko's face and the jounin went sliding across the grass as Sakura helped Naruto off of the ground. Anko touched her eye where a shiner was starting to form. Without any expression on her face she looked at her genin.

"I want you to tree walk to get your chakra reserves up. If you want to learn from me you need more chakra. Gaki, go back to your taijutsu. I'll be right back."

Anko shunshined away and reappeared across the river in the trees. Standing there were Tsunade and Kakashi.

"I'll take'em." Anko smiled genuinely. Kakashi eye-smiled.

"Thanks a lot, Anko."

Anko shook her head.

"Oh, don't thank me. It'll be fun to teach a couple of genin with a feisty side to them. Now I gotta get back." Anko shunshined back to her team and Tsunade looked at Kakashi.

"You know, I think she's gonna be a pretty good sensei."

Kakashi eye-smiled and nodded.

"I always did know how to pick'em."

* * *

**BOOM! There's the chapter! Another one in like...NOW! Es war wunderbar, nein?! That was German! Au revoir, mes amis! That was French!**

**...I'm almost out of material as you can tell.**

**So how did I do?**

**See you next chapter.**

**Microzombie.**


	3. Psycho-sensei and Patchy-chan

**Heyo! NEXT CHAPTER!**

**Don't forget that cover image : )**

* * *

When Anko shunshined back into Training Ground Seven Sakura and Naruto weren't doing anything.

"Why aren't you training?"

Naruto scowled.

"You threatened to kill me you psycho!"

Anko shook her head.

"That was a test Gaki. And may I say, you passed with flying colors."

Sakura and Naruto looked confused.

"I wanted to see if you were willing to stand up to someone who was fucking with you. I don't want to teach a couple of pussies. I want tigers. Now, since you're not training yet, come here. Sit with me."

Both genin walked over and each sat against a tree.

"I know you're used to Kakashi's way of teaching, but, as you can tell, me and Kakashi aren't very much alike. I prefer hands on training, where as he prefers lectures. So, Gaki, I want you to hit that log to get your speed and endurance up. You can take a hit for sure, but someone like Gai's mini-me or that Inuzuka in your graduating class will destroy you with speed alone. You got lucky against the Inuzuka, and you beat that Hyuuga by wearing him down with **Shadow Clones** and then waiting until he got sloppy. So, if you get your speed and endurance up, you'll have the taijutsu skill to match your ability to get back up from everything short of an attack by a boss summon."

Naruto nodded.

"Pinkie, I want you to walk on that tree to get your chakra reserves up. As you are now, you're useless. This was supposed to be an assault team. That means a combat specialist, a tactician, and a genjutsu user/medic. Gaki here was definitely your combat specialist, and I'm guessing that you were supposed to be the medic and genjutsu user. The problem is that, right now, you're fucking useless."

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Anko raised a hand.

"Don't interrupt Gaki. That being said you also have awesome potential for both genjutsu and taijutsu."

Sakura nodded.

"So. Since we're short a team member for the time being, I'm going to be changing the objective of this team. I'm making us into a recon squad."

Sakura and Naruto both looked confused.

"A recon squad does all of the same things that your regular assault team does. Bandit raids and stuff like that, but a recon squad also gets to do the fun stuff. Like go after missing-nins and go undercover and shit. The difference between the two is that we need _two_ combat types for when things get hairy, and we need to shock and awe the shit out of some people. Like I said before Pinkie, you're built for certain types of close combat"

Sakura looked surprised. Anko stood up and clapped her hands together.

"Alright! Gaki go start punching the log. Pinkie the tree behind you will do just fine for tree walking. Any questions?"

"No, Anko-sensei." Both genin started on their training.

Anko inwardly grinned while keeping her scary persona up on the outside. Anko went and sat next to the river and picked her teeth with a senbon.

'_Anko-sensei? It's got a ring to it.' _Anko thought as she watched her students train.

* * *

The sun had long dipped below the horizon when Anko finally called for Naruto and Sakura to stop.

"Alright! Go on home! Make sure you're here at five o'clock sharp tomorrow!" Anko snapped before disappearing in a shunshin. Sakura dropped in exhaustion, and Naruto stumbled over before falling down face down a few feet away. Sakura spoke quietly.

"I hate her..."

Naruto looked up.

"She's a nutjob..." Naruto let his face fall forward into the mud and Sakura smiled faintly when she heard snoring.

"Yeah..." Sakura's eye lids drooped as she fell asleep against the tree she'd walked up and down all day long.

* * *

Anko stood on a tree branch just outside the training ground.

_'Should I take them home or not...'_

Anko tilted her head as she watched her genins collapse.

_'They'll both catch colds if they stay out here...eh...whatever don't fall asleep outside without a fire kids...'_

The jounin disappeared in a shunshin.

* * *

Sakura slowly picked her head up the next morning and yawned. The sun wasn't yet up, and she heard snoring to her left. Naruto was lying face down in the dirt, still asleep. As Sakura reached over to shake him awake, she sneezed.

'_Oh great. I've got a cold...'_

The loud sneeze woke up Naruto and the blonde sat up rubbing his head. He sniffled as he yawned and looked at Sakura with half-lidded eyes.

As he opened his mouth to speak a loud and much to happy voice for this early in the morning interrupted.

"Hey! You guys are already awake! Now that's dedication! Remember what I had you doin' yesterday? Get on it!" Anko was leaning sitting in the branches of a tree with a grin on her face.

Sakura groaned.

"We just woke up Anko-sensei. We haven't had any breakfast or anything yet."

Anko's face went blank and she dropped to the ground.

"Come here kids. I'll tell you a story."

Naruto and Sakura looked confused, but complied.

"Back during the Third Shinobi World War I had a good friend named Kei. One night the jounin-sensei of her squad left them to go on recon. Their orders were to hold position until he got back. Kei and another went to sleep while the third squad member, guy by the name of Kazuma, was on first watch. Now Kei told Kazuma to wake her up if he got tired. But he didn't, and he fell asleep on guard."

Sakura and Naruto frowned. There was a reason that was punishable by military tribunal now. Anko's face became grim and she appeared to be looking right through Naruto and Sakura.

"Iwa shinobi slipped past him, slitting his throat as they did so."

Sakura and Naruto winced.

"They found the camp and were going to kill Kei and her teammate. Instead the teammate woke up."

Sakura and Naruto looked hopeful.

"She tried fighting them, but, guess what?"

The two genin looked on quizzically.

Anko's voice became volatile.

"The bitch was _tired!_ And because of that my friend died."

Sakura and Naruto looked apologetic. Anko stood with her hands on her hips.

"So! Don't complain about being tired! Fight through it and do what you gotta do!"

Sakura and Naruto nodded and, without words, ran off to start training.

"Didn't think you could be charismatic Anko."

Anko looked to see Neko standing in a tree on the edge of the clearing.

"Da fuck is that supposed to mean Neko?" Anko glared at the ANBU, making the swordswoman want to chuckle.

"Just making an observation." Neko disappeared leaving Anko thinking.

'_Fuck her. Charismatic my ass.' _Anko grumbled as she watched Naruto hit the stump and then she smirked as a piece of bark fell off.

'_That's right. Just like that kid.' _

Anko looked over to see Sakura _sprinting_ up and down a tree.

'_Er...I think I might've scared'em with my story, Kei...'_ Anko thought as she looked up at the sky. As could be expected, there was no response from Anko's deceased teammate and the woman chuckled to herself.

'_Man, I am turning into Kakashi...ouch...'_ Anko winced as Sakura applied a bit too much chakra and made the tree explode, causing her to faceplant. Anko gave out a low whistle as the pinkette got back up, wiped blood from her face, and ran up a new tree.

"You're working them hard."

The interrogator turned to see Kakashi sitting in a tree behind her.

"Actually, they're doing this of their own accord. I just told them a story. Think I might have scared them though." Anko snickered as Kakashi sighed in exasperation.

"Alright, I just wanted to check on you guys." Kakashi disappeared and left Anko to her thoughts.

* * *

And that's how it went. Everyday for a week Team Seven would train from sunrise to sundown, not even stopping for missions. Until, a week and a half after Anko became their sensei, Naruto and Sakura spotted their sensei walking over with someone walking behind her. A spiky black haired girl wearing a black hoodie, red pants and black ninja sandals. The sleeves of her hoodie had white stripes on them. The eye that wasn't covered by an eye patch was dark green. The eye patch had a yellow smiley face on it. There was a chokuto hanging from her back. Hanging from the hilt by a small was a...Hyena plushie? Where did she even get that?

"Good morning Minions! Since I know you're wondering this is New Minion. New Minion, say hello to the other minions."

New Minion smiled and gave an ILY sign.

"Yo! I'm Raimei Kenrashi!"

Sakura and Naruto both nodded their greetings.

"Alright! You can socialize later! Pinkie! Keep doing what you've been doing! Gaki, you started your exercises yet? Get on it! Patchy! You're doing the same thing Gaki is doing. Follow Gaki and he'll tell you what to do."

Anko walked away and sat in a tree to observe how the new team would act around each other. Sakura started working harder than usual, but that was to be expected.

'_Doesn't want the new girl moving in on her territory!'_ Anko cackled wildly in her head.

* * *

'_That girl sure is a hard worker...'_ Raimei sweatdropped as she watched Sakura sprint up and down a tree.

"That's it. Just get a rhythm to it. Jab, jab, kick, jab. And then you do that until Anko-sensei says to stop."

Raimei smiled and nodded.

"Thanks...err….I didn't catch your name?"

"Oh! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. That's Sakura Haruno over there."

Raimei paused to shake Naruto's hand before going back to punching the log.

"So what brings you to our team?" Naruto threw a jab.

"I requested a transfer. My teammates were assholes…" Raimei kicked out.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he threw another jab.

"How so?"

Raimei shrugged.

"Making misogynistic comments. Making fun of my eye. Stuff like that."

Naruto made an 'ah' expression.

"That kinda crap isn't funny…" the blonde deadpanned. Raimei nodded.

"My thoughts exactly. So when I heard Anko-sensei was looking for a third team member I requested a transfer from Shizune-sama."

Naruto grinned.

"Shizune-nee-chan is pretty cool. She probably brought your request to the Tsunade-baa-chan, and asked for your transfer personally."

Raimei missed a jab and face planted into the pole. She quickly recovered and, ignoring the bark of laughter from Anko, turned to Naruto with an incredulous expression.

"What'd you call Tsunade-sama and Shizune-sama?"

"Baa-chan, and nee-chan." Naruto grinned and gave a peace sign.

"Why would you call them _those names?!_" Raimei was appalled that someone would disrespect such high ranking Konoha ninja.

Naruto snickered.

"Because Shizune-nee-chan is like my nee-chan, and Baa-chan is actually old. Like _really old._ Like you fart, and dust comes out of your butt old. She just uses a genjutsu to hide it."

* * *

Tsunade whirled around and hurled a paperweight out of her window and nailed a passing bird. Shizune turned to her shocked.

"Tsunade-sama! Why'd you do that?!"

Tsunade scratched her head confusedly.

"I don't know...I just felt the need to kill something small…"

Shizune made a mental note to have a psych eval done on her sensei.

* * *

In response to Naruto's description of Tsunade's age, Raimai stood dumbfounded with her mouth open. The genin kunoichi turned when she heard a crash and found Anko laughing so hard that she had fall out of her tree. This was evidenced because the jounin was rolling around on the ground holding her sides. Sakura meanwhile sighed before smiling wryly and shaking her head with her hands on her hips.

"Damn, Gaki! You got a death wish?!" Anko yelled through her laughter.

"Probably. That was just asking for a suicide mission…" Naruto turned to see Neko standing in a tree, shaking her head.

"Oh, who asked you?!"

The ANBU turned her gaze on Naruto and the blonde almost shivered under her gaze.

"Close your mouth. It'll get you killed."

The ANBU then turned to Anko as Naruto actually did shiver this time.

"Anko, Ibiki has need of your services."

The interrogator nodded before turning to her genin.

"Keep doing what you're doing. When I get back we're gonna take a little break." Anko disappeared with Neko and left the genin to train.

"So how long have you been a genin?" Raimei threw out a kick.

"About a year." Naruto punched the stump and more bark fell off.

"I've got a year on you." Raimei smirked at him and in response Naruto growled then suddenly smirked back.

"But I've got an A-Rank mission over you."

Raimei's fist stopped mid-jab and she turned to Naruto.

"Now _that_ is a story I want to hear."

Naruto gave a vulpine grin then his stomach growled. He stopped punching the stump and yelled over to Sakura.

"Sakura-chan! I'm hungry!"

Sakura dropped off of the tree and rubbed a bruise on her arm as she walked over.

"Want to go get something to eat?"

Raimei nodded.

"Sounds good to me if Naruto doesn't mind."

In response the blonde grabbed his teammates' wrists and dragged them away.

"Ichiraku here we come!"

* * *

Raimei watched in wonder as Naruto inhaled his fourth bowl of ramen.

"That doesn't seem physically possible…" the new team member suddenly felt as if she had lost her appetite. Sakura was just eating at a normal pace, telling Raimei that Haruno was used to it.

"So Raimei…"

Raimei turned to Sakura who was looking at her out of the corner of her eye.

"What do ninja art do you specialize in?"

Raimei pointed to the chokuto on her back.

"Kenjutsu."

Sakura turned to Raimei with a raised eyebrow.

"Really? I don't know many people who do that."

Raimei smiled.

"Yeah. There's a very good reason why I use it though."

"Why is that?" Sakura tilted her head. Naruto stopped eating and turned to look at his new friend as well.

Raimei suddenly seemed very uncomfortable.

"Uh...I like it. Yeah…" the one eyed girl laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah...I'm not buying that…what's the real reason?" Naruto deadpanned and Raimei winced.

Suddenly a fist hit the back of his head.

"Idiot! She doesn't want to talk about it!" Sakura huffed as she rubbed her knuckles.

'Well that was needlessly violent...' Raimei blinked in thought.

"Uh...no that's ok Sakura-san. Naruto-san I'd rather not talk about it."

Naruto nodded as he nursed the growing lump on his head.

"Gotcha Raimei-chan."

Raimei smiled and broke apart her chopsticks as she finally got around to eating her shrimp ramen.

"What do you specialize in Sakura-san?"

Sakura looked slightly downtrodden.

"Well...um...you see...right after the Academy...I..uh…"

Raimei raised an eyebrow.

"Had Fangirl Syndrome?"

Sakura slightly reddened and turned away.

"Eh whatever. You're making up for it now."

Sakura smiled slightly as Raimei shrugged and talked around the food in the mouth.

"Dumbasses!" A fist hit all three of the genin's heads and they all turned to see a seething Anko.

"Eh...hi...Anko-sensei…" Naruto waved nervously. Anko just appeared to get angrier.

"Eh...Anko-sama?"

Anko apparently took that as a smart-ass comment because she turned red in the face.

Sakura just stepped behind Raimei.

'Good teamwork Pinkie!' Raimei screamed sarcastically in her head as she contemplated writing a Will before Anko tore her to pieces.

The snake using kunoichi put her hands to her temples and took a breath.

"I told you we were going somewhere when I got back." Anko growled under her breath.

Naruto stepped forward.

"Sorry Anko-sensei. It's my fault I wanted to get to know Raimei, and I was hungry so…"

Raimei steped forward now.

"No it's my fault Anko-sensei. I'm the most experienced genin, I should have thought about your orders."

Sakura stepped out from behind Raimei gingerly.

"Actually Anko-sensei it's my fault. I suggested leaving for food when Naruto mentioned he was hungry.

Surprisingly...instead of murdering them Anko sighed and smiled softly.

"Alright...but goddamn you guys could have waited for the sexiest kunoichi in Konoha!" Anko voice rose to a yell as she waved her arms childishly. The three genin all laughed nervously and apologized. Anko wrapped an arm around Naruto's neck.

"What's good on the menu, Gaki?"

Naruto grinned at his sensei.

"The miso, the tonkotsu, the shio, the shoy-"

A hand covered Naruto's mouth. Raimei put a finger to her lips.

"Just say everything Naruto…" the kenjutsuist's voice wavered with barely restrained mirth. Sakura had heard the speech and was simply giggling. Anko looked curious before looking at the sky.

"Well...I guess...that...I'll have all of'em." Anko shrugged as she sat down next to Naruto. Raimei and Sakura face-faulted as Naruto cheered.

* * *

Raimei watched in mute amazement as Anko nearly kept up with Naruto. She assumed this was normal well, but if she had turned she would have seen a slack jawed Sakura.

"Hey Old Man! How about two more down here?" Anko grinned and put her hand up. Ayame Ichiraku put her fingers together nervously.

"Eh...Mitarashi-san...you and Naruto-kun have finished out our stock for the day."

Anko looked slightly dismayed as Naruto gasped in horror.

"Well...that sucks. Here that should cover the bill." the snake using kunoichi tossed a frog-shaped wallet to Ayame. Naruto's eyes widened as recognized the wallet.

"Hey! That's mine! Anko-sensei!" The boy whirled and was prepared to unleash a storm of obscenities, but stopped short when he saw a pouting girl about his age there. She was wearing a brown t-shirt and tan shorts. She had the same fan ponytail as Anko.

"But I thought you were treating us Naruto-kun…" the girl's eyes watered. Naruto was suddenly horror stricken.

"I am! I am! Please don't cry!"

Naruto turned to help Ayame count out the money and the girls sighed as the girl disappeared in a puff of smoke and was replaced by Anko with a snicker on her face. The other two genin were torn between sighing and laughing themselves.

Anko stood up as Naruto put his considerably less heavy wallet in his pocket.

"Alright Minions. We're gonna go shopping."

The genin all turned to Anko confusedly.

"For clothes." Anko clarified.

"I look fine though!" Naruto protested. Anko turned to him.

"Hey Gaki. Remember my friend Kei?"

Naruto swallowed and nodded. Anko leaned down.

"Did I tell you about Hibachi?"

Naruto frowned and shook his head.

"Hibachi Nishijima was a good friend of mine. Cheerful. Funny. A little ball of fun honestly. Now. As a joke, Hibachi wore a bright yellow outfit on every mission. He said he was quote 'kunai-proof, so why dress in depressing stuff.'"

Anko sighed and thought for a moment. When she spoke again her eyes were absent in thought.

"During the Third Great War...Kiri had set up a base of operations in Nami no Kuni. A detachment was split off from the 3rd Assault Regiment to capture it for the eventual invasion of Mizu no Kuni. My team and Hibachi's were both included in that detachment. The plan was simple. Cross the channel at night, and sneak up on the base. Take out the sentries quietly and open up the gate for the main force. Fairly easy with how much mist is present in Nami no Kuni." Anko paused again. She reached into coat before coming out with a small poker chip. She began running the chip in between her fingers. Anko licked her lips and her eyes as glazed over as she went back.

* * *

**So that's it then. Remember to let me know how I'm doing so a SWAT team doesn't kick my door down for disgracing the genre of fanfiction. And remember that cover image! Gimme some love and I'll see if I can get the next chapter out today or tomorrow. Seriously, hearing whether or not you guys enjoy it motivates me : )**

**Have an awesome day. Remember to be safe guys!**

**Don't alert the horde! **

**Microzombie!**


	4. Mud and Blood

**SO! Yeah! I thought I had somewhere to be, but I didn't! So! Here's this thing!**

* * *

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO

NAMI NO KUNI

Eleven year old Anko Mitarashi walked forward through the mud. The cold rain once again lashed her and her squad as the group of Konoha-nin made their way towards the well lit compound. Whoever had set it up here was an idiot. Shoulder high saw grass surrounded it for miles around. Excellent concealment until the final few hundred meters. This storm wouldn't help the Kiri-nin either. Anko smirked. Everything was going exactly as planned.

As Anko parted some of tall grass she came face to foot with a sentry. Biting back a yelp of surprise, the pointwoman put her hand backwards in a signal to stop.

The sentry wasn't facing her. He was looking towards the compound as he lit a cigarette. Anko removed a kunai from the holster on her left leg. The choice to wear tan cargo pants instead of her shorts had been a good one as she felt a snake crawl over her leg. The young girl shivered involuntarily. Her sensei may have been the Snake Sannin, but she still thought those damn scaly things were creepy.

Anko slowly stood with the kunai in reverse grip. With a small hop she wrapped an arm around the sentry's throat and stabbed the kunai into the enemy ninja's cerebellum. The man went limp almost instantly and Anko planted her feet in the mud as she dragged him backwards and gently set him into the mud, so as not to make noise. The rain would most likely cover it, but no need to take chances. Anko peeked through the grass again. Without the sentry in the way she could see a small clearing. Maybe two meters in diameter. She sat and listened quietly while her eyes swept over the clearing. After a few moments she concluded that the sentry was alone. Bloody Mist was really starting to feel the pain from their disgusting idea of a graduation exam.

Anko waved her hand forward and she began walking forward in a crouch again. Her comrades followed after her quickly. The dozen ninja disappeared back into the brush.

"Wow Anko. You're getting scary good at stuff like that." Kei Oyama whispered from right behind the leader of the squad. If Anko heard her, she didn't show any sign of it. Kei pouted slightly and looked at Kazuma Takeda over her shoulder who rolled his eyes at Anko's attitude.

The apprentice of the Snake Sannin stopped once again and turned to Kei before speaking in a hushed voice.

"We're at the edge of the grass. Pass it back." Anko turned back and keyed her radio as Kei passed the message backwards along the squad.

"This is First Squad to all squads. We're at the edge of the danger zone. Sentry eliminated. Over."

Her radio crackled as a brash voice came back.

"Anko-chan, you move too fast, hehe." the voice became serious ",Second Squad was delayed slightly. ETA to jump off point five minutes."

Anko rolled her eyes.

"Roger, Hibachi. Third Squad, what's your ETA?"

"Arriving at jump off now Anko."

Anko nodded to no one and keyed her radio.

"Hibachi the entire operation is waiting on Second Squad, get moving."

"There are more sentries than expected over here. Moving as fast as we can."

Anko growled.

"Move faster."

Anko ignored Hibachi's reply and pulled out a monocular to observe the compound. Well lit. Watch towers spaced along the chain link fence. There was razor wire topping it, and concertina wire in front of and behind it.

Anko blew her bangs of her face with a frustrated huff. These Kiri-nin really didn't think they were a threat did they? Anko keyed her microphone.

"Second Squad, status?"

No response.

Anko frowned.

"Second Squad, status?"

The response to her question was an explosion of fire which lit up the landscape for miles around. It was sustained and Anko's eyes widened as she realized.

"Second Squad was over there!" Kei yelled as she stood up beside Anko. The apprentice of the Snake Sannin pulled her back down.

"Anko! What're-"

"We can't help them. If we're lucky the Kiri-nin will think that they were the only squad."

Kei looked at her confusedly and began to pull away. Anko grabbed Kei by the front of her shirt and pulled her close.

"Kei, if you run off, I will have you arrested for insubordination and failure to comply with orders while in hostile territory." The squad leader snarled under her breath.

Kei glared at her, and began to move anyway. Just as Kazuma began to intercede another explosion of flame went up. Anko looked up in stunned horror before keying her radio.

"Third Squad?! Can you hear me?!"

Suddenly the hair on the back of her neck and on her arms stood straight up.

"Move!" Anko screamed as she kicked Kei out of the grass and dragged Kazuma and a chunin named Hitomi in the same direction. She got up and began dragging them with her, Kazuma and Hitomi stumbling and tripping as they tried to catch up. She looked back as the rest of the squad tried to follow. The entire squad disappeared in a column of flame.

The three genin just watched with wide eyes. A faint hissing caused Anko to turn her head. A paper bomb was right underneath Hitomi.

"Bomb!" Anko yelled as she dove to the ground and covered her head. She heard Hitomi begin to say something, but she was cut off by an explosion. Anko stood up as bits of flesh rained on Kei and Kazuma.

"Let's go! Let's go! Push up! Get to the walls! Anko yelled as she began running. Yells in the distance told her the main force was on its way. The lights had to be down before then. Or the main force would meet the same fate her infiltration platoon.

The pounding of feet told her that Kei and Kazuma were right behind her. Explosions followed after them as the Kiri-nin detonated mines trying to eliminate the coming Konoha-nin.

Two hundred meters.

Anko vectored towards the watchtower closest to a small shed inside the compound.

One hundred meters.

Anko caught sight of two Kiri chunin inside the tower. One had out a katana, the other a kunai.

Fifty meters.

One had blue eyes. The other green. Anko's mind dwelled on the former for a moment. Those had to be the bluest eyes, she had ever seen.

Twenty-five meters.

Anko and Kazuma each threw a kunai with an attached paper bomb. Green Eyes turned to jump out of the tower in a panic. Blue Eyes stood still as if in shock.

Ten meters.

The blue eyes disappeared behind an explosion. Anko, Kei, and Kazuma jumped over the concertina wire and fences.

Five meters inside the wire.

Anko fed chakra to her legs and threw a handful of kunai at the still fleeing Green Eyes. One hit at the base of his spine, severing it, the other the back of his legs. Green Eyes fell to the ground, unmoving besides his arms. The three genin ran past him, making a bee-line for the shed.

A squad of Kiri genin ran towards them. With a flick of her wrist, Anko sent Kei and Kazuma to delay them. Anko made a chakra fueled jump and landed on top of the shed. The squad leader looked up. Kei threw a kunai and planted it inside of an enemy genin's eye socket before elbowing another's diaphragm and emptying the Kiri-nin's lungs of air.

Kazuma snapped one's neck before front flipping over the falling corpse and kicking another genin in the face with his heavy boots, shattering his nose and almost certainly both orbitals.

Anko turned back to the shed and started slapping down paper bombs. Her hands moved in a blur as she set down over thirty of the explosives.

"Fall back!" Anko shouted as she jumped off the shed and landed on a Kiri chunin's shoulders. She wrapped her legs around his neck and threw her weight forward before letting go. The resulting unbalance knocked over the chunin. Anko curb-stomped his neck, severing his trachea. The chunin wrapped his hands around his throat trying to gasp for air. Anko ran away, only looking over her shoulder to maker sure her teammates were following her. They stopped at the fence and watched the oncoming force of enemy ninja. She waited until they were passing by the shed. Anko made a ram sign.

"Katsu!" The Konoha genin murmured. The realization on the Kiri-nin's faces was disgustingly sweet as the shed exploded, sending shrapnel in every direction. The lights in the compound went out as the generator inside the shed was destroyed. The opposing Kiri forces were cut by at least half when the shed exploded. The three Konoha genin attacked the momentarily stunned Kiri forces.

Anko slit a throat and slid past the arterial spray of blood, and planted the kunai in another Kiri-nin's heart. She kicked him off of her blade and whirled before using her momentum to embed her knife in an enemy neck.

She let go of the weapon and drew another as she back flipped over a ninjato blade and kicked the Kiri-nin in the head on the way by.

She briefly caught sight of Kei snapping a neck before sliding between a pair of legs and cutting open chest. Anko's neck hair stood on end and she turned in time to parry a pair of kunai. The who threw them Kiri-nin stood on top of a massive sword. His headband was sideways.

'Zabuza Momochi...' Anko slightly sweated. The swordsman was rapidly becoming infamous among the Konoha ranks.

"You're being beaten by mere children! This is a disgrace to our nation!" The teenaged jounin raged at the faltering Kiri forces. The Kiri ninja began to rally.

Anko threw a handful of kunai at the Shinobi Swordsman. He fell backwards off of his blade, causing Anko's kunai to miss.

"Press the attack! We gotta delay for the main force!" Anko hissed as she ran at the Kiri-nin. Kazuma and Kei ran forward as well each throwing a handful of kunai with attached paper bombs. Explosions ripped through the Kiri ranks and caused the Kiri-nin to falter again.

Anko wasn't paying attention though as she engaged Zabuza. Two kunai in reverse grip deflected off the flat of the Kubikiribocho. Zabuza came over top of his blade and attempted an axe kick on Anko. The genin blocked it with her right forearm, and hissed as she felt a shooting pain in her shoulder.

She dropped and spun on her left arm, knocking Zabuza's legs out from under him. The Kiri-nin used his weight to roll backwards, grabbing his sword along the way. Anko rolled forward and attempted to get inside of his guard. The girl let her torso fall backwards and watched as Kubikiribocho passed overhead, severing some of her hair. Anko flipped backwards and launched a dozen kunai as she landed. Zabuza attempted to move his sword into their path, but the kunai were travelling faster than normal. He only managed to redirect them with the edge of his blade. The kunai flew past his face, knicking his cheek and ear in the process. As blood ran down his face he heard it. The whistle of air following the kunai. Wind chakra. Anko grinned wickedly.

Zabuza growled and began going through hand signs.

Anko's face sobered as she slid backwards.

"Water Style: Water Bullet!" Zabuza spit out a ball of water the size of a baseball.

Anko flipped sideways to avoid it and went through hand sign as she did so. As she landed she

'Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!' Anko inhaled and blew out a burst of flame in the shape of a dragon. Zabuza flashed through some hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu!"

Zabuza vomited up several gallons of water and it formed into a wall. Anko's dragon impacted with Zabuza's wall and it threw steam all over the battlefield. The clashing of blades and screams of battle were still audible, but Anko heard chuckling clearly.

"Eight points...Brain...Larynx...Subclavian artery-"

Anko hurled a dozen kunai in the direction of the voice and was rewarded with a curse and the sound of something wet hitting the ground. Anko ran out of the mist and came face to face with a Konoha jounin. Several dozen chunin were running past behind him.

"Mitarashi! Pull your team back! We've got this!"

"Zabuza Momochi is in the mist!" Anko informed the jounin as the man turned to face the mist.

"Go. I'll take care of things here."

"But-!" Anko was crestfallen.

"Your team is exhausted." The jounin pointed to Kei and Kazuma who were both panting behind her waiting for orders.

"Come on you two." Anko bit her lip before nodding and jogging towards the gate now held by Konoha.

As she was running she heard a groan. Stopping to look around she noticed a Kiri-nin trying to crawl away. It was Green Eyes from the beginning of the battle. Anko scowled and walked over. She bent over and cut open his jugular. Ignoring the spray of blood and gargle she wiped her blade off on his vest before placing it back in her holster. Without wiping the blood off of her hands, she turned and strolled over to her waiting team.

* * *

"Anko-sensei!" Anko looked up as Naruto stood in front of her. His face was concerned, and Anko took a breath.

"I read the report afterward. The sentries spotted Hibachi's clothes and detonated fougasse mines. Those bright yellow clothes killed three dozen people. And guess what Gaki? My job is to keep you guys alive. Now come on."

Naruto, Sakura, and Raimei followed after their sensei numbly, as Ayame tried to absorb what she'd just heard from the jounin. Her father simply shook his head and started cleaning bowls.

* * *

**LAST ONE FOR REAL THIS TIME GUYS! Leave a review. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.**

**Don't forget that I need a cover image.**

* * *

**Don't alert the horde!**

**Microzombie.**


	5. Pariahs and Price tags

**Hey guys! Late night chapter as you can see! Nothing really to say. I still need that cover on guys! Internet cookies! Ok I'll quit my bitching now. Enjoy the chapter : )**

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Naruto pulled on the collar of his dark grey hooded vest. The dark jungle green muscle shirt underneath it was exhibited by the sleeves on either side. Black cargo pants were tucked into black shinobi sandals. His headband was unfurled into a bandana that wrapped around his entire head.

Anko had torn up his track suit and forced him to wear his present clothing. Currently Team Seven was in shop for kunoichi, in order to get clothing for Sakura. Anko had judged Raimei's clothing to be ok as is, so the kenjutsuist was just along to help Sakura pick out clothing. Naruto simply leaned on the wall next to the counter and watched. He was standing next to three other male ninjas. Two chunin and a genin. He turned to the other ninjas and smiled wryly.

"So...how about that Uchiha?"

The genin and chunin scowled in his direction, but one of the chunin slightly laughed and looked at Naruto.

"Personally? I wanna say good riddance."

Naruto looked surprised.

"Really?"

The chunin shrugged.

"Well yeah. I mean the guy strutted around like he owned the joint, and then treated everyone around him like dirt. Don't get me wrong, he seemed to be getting better about it, but you can't change someone like that."

Naruto tilted his head.

"Like what?"

The chunin pushed Naruto slightly.

"Someone that is so deeply ingrained in hatred man. I mean all he ever seemed to think about was shinobi training. Every time I saw the kid he had girls practically throwing themselves in front of him naked, and he didn't do anything. He just scoffed and walked away. Now...I'm not saying he was wrong for blowing off a lot of them, but there were actually some nice girls there for him."

Naruto frowned as he thought about this.

"And then there's you, Uzumaki."

Naruto turned to the chunin.

"I was part of the squad that went to retrieve the wounded. I overheard the medic-nin talking about your injuries. Two Chidori? Kid, he tried to kill you, twice! You can't come back from that in my opinion. Now I know what you're thinking. 'since when does anyone else give a shit about me' You're a comrade, and he's a traitor. That's all there is to it."

Naruto frowned even deeper. The chunin sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Look Uzumaki. I just want to tell you that not everyone hates you. It's only a few that don't care, but those few are enough, eh?" the chunin elbowed Naruto playfully as the other two ninjas present scoffed. The chunin turned to glare at them before turning back to Naruto.

"Name's Kotetsu Hagane."

Naruto put a fist into his other hand.

"That's where I know you from! You and Izumo guard the gate all the time…"

This caused Kotetsu to face fault. He recovered and poked Naruto in the side of the head.

"You know, your friends don't like it when you point out their crappy job."

Naruto snickered and pushed Kotetsu's hand away. A black haired woman came forward and grabbed onto Kotetsu's wrist.

"Come on Kotetsu-kun. We still have to go to the grocery store. Then you have to get back to the gate." the woman smiled and winked at Naruto, who laughed at Kotetsu's crestfallen expression. Raimei came and stood next to Naruto as Anko and Sakura walked up to the cashier with a pile of clothes.

"Why must you tease me so, Tsubaki-chan!" Kotetsu wrapped his arms around Tsubaki's neck and put his forehead on hers. Raimei took on a bored expression.

"Be right back. Gonna go vomit." Naruto laughed as the kenjutsuist whirled and walked over to where Anko was arguing with the cashier. Tsubaki and Kotetsu said goodbye to Naruto and walked out of the door. Naruto walked over to see what the argument was about.

"You can't mark something up for no damn reason!" Anko raged at the teen behind the counter. The teen glared at her.

"Yes I can! It's my family's store! I can do whatever I like!"

Sakura couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"Listen here you little shit-!" Anko's glare became withering, but Sakura interceded.

"Anko-sensei, I'll pay extra for it...I just wanted to know why he's charging me three times what it says on the tags…" Sakura frowned as she looked at the cashier. Anko huffed and turned her head. The cashier sneered at Sakura.

"I'm charging you triple because I feel like it Pinkie! How about that?!"

"Screw it!" Anko picked up the clothes and threw them all over the store. The purple haired woman grabbed Sakura's arm.

"Come on Pinkie! We're finding another goddamned store! Gaki, Patchie! You coming or what?!" the jounin dragged Sakura out of the store. Raimei and Naruto looked at each other before following after her.

* * *

"That is the fifth fucking store," Anko muttered as she stamped down the road, holding onto Sakura's arm. The pink haired girl wanted to complain, but was afraid her sensei would kill her.

"Eh...Anko-sensei…"

"Come on, Pinkie! We're gonna find someone who is fair!"

Sakura opened her mouth to speak again, but was cut off by another string of curses form Anko.

Raimei and Naruto maintained a respectful distance from their sensei...either that or they were staying out of kunai range. Just to be safe. Sakura continued muttering Anko's name in an effort to get her attention.

"Sensei…"

"Goddamn judgemental…"

"Anko-sensei?"

"Wanna treat Pinkie like shit, eh?"

"Erm, Anko-sensei?"

"I'll show you bastards!"

"Anko-sensei!" Sakura's other hand covered her mouth as she raised her voice at her aggressive and psychotic superior. Anko looked around before looking at Sakura.

"Eh? Oh did I zone out? My bad. What's up, Pinkie?"

Sakura mumbled something undecipherable.

"Speak up, girl." Anko growled.

"You're hurting my arm a bit…"

Anko looked down to see Sakura's arm was starting to bruise, and immediately felt guilt settle in her stomach. The interrogator let go and examined it.

'Great. I cut off the blood flow...' Anko mentally punched herself in the stomach.

"Oh...sorry Pinkie. Here let me fix that for ya…"

Anko's hand glowed a faint green and she gently pressed it to the bruise on Sakura's arm. In about thirty seconds, it was as if Anko hadn't nearly broken it a few moments ago.

"Anko-sensei…"

Anko turned to Sakura again with a 'what now' look.

"Why is everyone charging us so much…" Sakura looked at the ground and rubbed her foot in the dirt on the road. Raimei and Naruto walked forward when they saw Anko put a hand on Sakura's shoulder and lean down to her eye level.

"Pinkie, people in the town are idiots sometimes. That's all. With any luck, it'll all blow over."

Sakura looked up at Anko.

"Is it because Sasuke-kun left?"

Anko shrugged.

"Maybe. People are just angry. Just a second Pinkie. I have another idea."

The older woman turned to Naruto and Raimei.

"I want you guys to run over to the mission office and grab a D-Rank. Then wait for me and Pinkie. And I mean wait. Go running off again and I'll kick your ass. Get me?"

Raimei and Naruto nodded. Anko scowled.

"I asked if you get me?"

Raimei and Naruto looked at each other before smiling.

"Gotcha, sensei!" Naruto gave a nice guy pose and ran off with Raimei in tow. Anko turned back to Sakura, who looked confused.

"What are we doing sensei?"

Anko smiled and mussed the girl's hair.

"Ever heard of hand-me-downs, Pinkie?"

* * *

Mission Office

Tsunade looked at Naruto appraisingly before nodding approvingly.

"Not a bad look Brat."

Naruto grumbled slightly.

"Anko-sensei tore up my jump suit. The Great Orange is gone forever!" Naruto hid his face in his hands.

'Only Naruto would mourn a piece of clothing...especially something as hideous as that thing!' Shizune sweatdropped from behind Tsunade.

Tsunade on the other hand was examining more than Naruto's clothing.

'He's put on some muscle, and he and Raimei seem like they're going to be good friends. Anko made a good choice there.'

Speaking of the she-devil and she shall appear.

"Yo!" Anko walked in the door with a face splitting grin.

"Hello Anko." Tsunade nodded and Anko gave a small bow in respect to her commander. Naruto looked around before looking at Anko.

"Anko-sensei, where's Sakura-chan?"

Anko turned around and gave a bored look at the door.

"Pinkie! Get yer ass in here!"

A voice so nervous that it could have been mistaken for Hinata Hyuuga came back.

"B-but...sensei!"

Anko stomped out and dragged Sakura back in with her. Naruto looked at Sakura. Tan short shorts, mesh stockings, and black shinobi sandals. Plus a tight brown t-shirt. What was she so embarrassed about?

"What's making you so nervous Sakura-chan? You look good…" Naruto tilted his head. Sakura actually blushed for a second before clearing her throat.

"Well...I'm just not used to showing so much skin...that's all. The shorts are a little revealing…"

Anko smacked Sakura across the head.

"Hey! Those were mine when I was a genin! Don't talk bad about my style!"

Shizune lightly giggled at Team Seven, but Tsunade had a thoughtful smile on her face.

'So. You've taken a shine to them have you Anko?'

"So. Gakis, what did you get?" Anko turned to Naruto and Raimei with a raised eyebrow.

"We actually don't have any D-Ranks left Anko. I told them they could go, but they wanted to wait here for you."

Neither Tsunade nor Shizune understood why Anko burst out laughing all of a sudden.

"Alright. How about a low end C-Rank?"

The Hokage and her aide looked at Anko in a confused manner.

"Anko, Raimei has just joined Team Seven…"

Anko shrugged.

"Yeah. And we haven't done any advanced combat drills either. But I know they know the basics. Manji formation and all that. I just want a low end C-Rank. I think we can handle it just fine. Plus I can teach a couple jutsu while we're out. That way we don't have to worry about Gaki levelling an entire warehouse."

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted as he muttered something like "it was one time…". Raimei and Sakura snickered and Anko grinned at him.

"Alright then. This is just a rumor investigation mission, so I think it fits the bill."

All four ninja stopped all forms of humor and looked to their commanding officer.

"Recently in Umi no Kuni, there have been attacks on merchant shipping. While it is most likely simple bandits, there are accounts of a 'demon' being involved in the attacks. It stands to reason that this is the work of shinobi."

"Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, Raimei Kenrashi, Anko Mitarashi!"

All four ninjas came to attention.

"Your mission is to investigate these reports. If the attacks turn out to be the work of shinobi you are to call for reinforcements before engaging and destroying the enemy! Is this understood!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Team Seven chorused.

"Very good. Team Seven, you are dismissed. Anko stick around for a moment."

The genin looked confused, but Anko glared at them.

"What are you waiting for? Gather your gear and rendezvous at the main gate."

The genin all nodded. They saluted Tsunade and walked out. Anko turned back to Tsunade.

"How are Naruto and Sakura, Anko."

Anko sighed and scratched her head.

"Well, Tsunade-sama...I'll say one thing. Kakashi is a good ninja. Great friend. But…"

Shizune and Tsunade frowned and leaned in. Anko took a breath.

"He is the worst goddamn teacher I have ever had the displeasure of even hearing of! I have half a mind to go and shove a pineapple up his ass!"

The tokubetsu jounin roared. Tsunade looked surprised.

"Really? Explain?"

Anko rubbed her forehead.

"Where do I start? Sakura Haruno. She only knew the Academy Three. That is it. No taijutsu beyond the standard Leaf Style, and absolutely no genjutsu to speak of! A fairy tale view of ninja life that still lingers even though she left the Academy nearly a year ago now! Kakashi should have broken her of that before he even started chakra control!"

Anko took a breath.

"And then there is Naruto Uzumaki. God help him, I know he tries, but Kakashi has really messed him up! He has so many holes in his taijutsu, it's ridiculous! I don't even think his style counts as taijutsu! Even with ninjutsu, his fighting pretty much consists of throwing waves of Shadow Clones at the enemy while trying to get a Rasengan through their defenses. You wouldn't know he has formal military training!"

Anko ran a hand through her hair.

"That being said? They're both good students. They're eager to learn, and they learn quickly as well. I'm starting Sakura on taijutsu as soon as we get back, and I'm teaching Naruto some ninjutsu while we're out. Um...about Raimei Kenrashi…"

Tsunade put a hand up.

"I've already thought about it, and I think it best that you talk to Gai about her."

Anko nodded.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. May I be dismissed?"

Tsunade nodded.

Anko tossed a salute to Tsunade before leaving in a shunshin.

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**Did I do good? Let me know! Remember that I need that cover!**


	6. Trips and Training

**Alrighty! Here's the skinny! I have been informed by several of my followers that this is not a rewrite of Team Psycho. That is not wrong! But neither is it correct! But I explained this once already. I mixed Team Psycho with another story's elements. I had no idea of where to go with Team Psycho. That's why I used the Wave Arc. I was bored of it, and therefore had no muse. This is the result of my brain trying to make Team Psycho interesting. There's no need to insult me and call me a liar : (**

**I still need that cover image boys and girls. I'm not gonna shut up about it until I have one lol**

**Anyways! Next chapter! There it is! Below this! Right there! Read it! Now! I don't know why you're still reading this! It's below this! By the way I don't own Naruto!**

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Sakura was twiddling her thumbs as she waited for her team to arrive. As always, she was the first to arrive.

"Hey Sakura."

The pinkette turned to see Raimei strolling up with her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. Her ninjato was on her back. Sakura frowned.

"Where's your backpack, Raimei?"

Raimei took off a scroll off of her belt.

"Everything I need is in here."

Raimei smiled in a way similar to Kakashi.

"Hey Sakura-chan! Raimei-chan!"

Naruto ran up with a backpack on his back. He opened his mouth to talk to Sakura.

"Don't even get into a conversation, Blondie. We're moving out."

Anko appeared behind Naruto, and rested her arms on top of his head. Unintentionally activating the three teen's hormones. Sakura turned red. Naruto looked like he was in his own world. Raimei, on the other hand, gave a jealous glance towards Naruto and Anko.

Anko noticed this last look.

'_Hehehe, damn you work fast blondie...' _The jounin stepped backwards and got serious. Her genin noticed this and gave her their undivided attention.

"Alright. You heard Hokage-sama. We're to recon the situation in Umi no Kuni. Now, this is a C-Rank, so it shouldn't be to dangerous for the four of us. But don't get comfortable. Once you're outside, I want you on alert. It wasn't to long ago that Orochi-teme's personal guard just walked in to Konoha like they owned the joint. I wouldn't put it past him to have some teams out there to pick off Konoha-nin."

Naruto looked at the ground at that, and Sakura gave him a comforting pat on the back. Raimei put her hand on his shoulder. Anko just inwardly smiled as she watched this, but kept up a stoic facade.

"Another thing. This isn't a rush job, so we're gonna be setting a relaxed pace. I don't want you to push yourselves to hard. If you need to rest, let me know, and we can take a rest. I don't want to lose a fourth of our combat power to exhaustion. Got it?"

The three genin nodded. Anko smiled.

"A enjoy yourselves a bit. Umi no Kuni is a pretty cool place."

Anko stopped for a second and had a small headache.

'_How did I know that...aw screw it, I'll figure it out later.'_

The woman brushed off the headache before gesturing over her shoulder.

"Let's get moving." Anko turned around and walked out of the gate.

"Good luck guys." Izumo put a hand up from inside the small booth. Kotetsu stuck his head out of the booth and waved to the departing team as well. Anko waved back. Naruto grinned and waved.

"See ya when we get back."

Sakura and Raimei just smiled at the chunins and nodded as they walked past. Team Seven is on its way to Umi no Kuni!

* * *

Team Seven walked in a loose formation as the sun started to get lower in the sky. Anko in the rear, Naruto at the front, the female genin midway between them to either side.

"Alright, here's the plan. When we stop for the night, I'm gonna be teaching each of you something new. By the way Raimei, your dossier didn't mention a taijutsu or kenjutsu style. Do you have one?"

Raimei shook her head. Anko looked at Raimei and made a quick evaluation.

"Alright, I'll get you started on kenjutsu then. Two hours total. Then lights out. Got it?"

The three genin looked a little excited at the prospect of combat training and then went back to watching their sectors. Anko grinned at the eager looks on their faces then chuckled to herself as she thought back to when she was still with Kei and Kazuma.

"_Have you thought about teaching genin, Anko-chan?"_

"_I'll never teach other genin! It would be so annoying!"_

'_Damn...I'm making myself a liar...' _Anko chuckled despite herself.

"A few more kilometers, then we stop for the night."

The genin looked slightliy relieved as Anko turned back to watching the forest.

* * *

Night was beginning to fall. Team Seven stood in a small clearing to the right of the road. A small fire burned in front of four small tents. The genin stood in front of Anko beside the camp site. The interrogator gestured to the ground.

"Alright. Take a seat."

The three genin sat down and looked up at their teacher. Anko crossed her arms.

"Now. The regular old Leaf Taijutsu is a boxing type fighting style. You go in for hard hits where you can, but you take some punishment in the process. My taijutsu style is the polar opposite. The Serpent Taijutsu is all about speed and precision strikes. Getting in and disabling your enemy before he has a chance to fight back."

The genin still looked curious, so Anko put up a finger.

"Alright. Let me explain. Pinkie, whats the standard Leaf Taijutsu strike?"

Sakura looked shocked at the question before she answered.

"A strike with the upper extremities, i.e. fist or elbow, to the enemy's torso. It's intended to cause pain, blunt force trauma, and internal damage."

Anko nodded.

"The standard strike of the Serpent Taijutsu is a quick strike to the neck or head."

Sakura frowned.

"But sensei, isn't that an obvious place to attack?"

Anko shook her head.

"Not where we hit. Most people would go for the adam's apple or make a direct strike to the nose. We make a hit to the trachea and cut off air flow. In fact you're to break it if at all possible, thus neutralizing your target."

The genin looked a little uncomfortable and Anko got down to their eye level.

"Look guys. I'm not gonna lie to you. This taijutsu style? It was developed by a monster. The guy didn't care who got hurt as long as he achieved his objective. Therefore, this taijutsu style? It's not intended to disable your enemy. It's designed to _kill them_. It's quick, but that doesn't mean painless. The basic strike I just talk about, will cause your enemy to suffocate if it's used correctly. It's a slow death."

The genin looked more uncomfortable.

"But I'll say this. This taijutsu has never failed me before. In fact it's saved my life quite a few times. There are times that I _know_ I would have been killed if I hadn't had this taijutsu style. That's why I'm teaching it to you. It's in my job description to keep you guys safe as best I can." Anko gave a sincere smile. The genin lightly smiled back at their teacher.

"Ugh...I hate mushy shit. Anyway, yeah. This is a good taijutsu style. Now onto jutsu. Pinkie, you're getting **Temporary Paralysis Jutsu**. It's one of my personal favorites. Blondie, you're getting **Shadow Shuriken Jutsu**. It'll go great with your **Shadow Clones**. Raimei, I'm teaching you my kenjutsu style."

Anko made a handsign that surprised Naruto.

Four **Shadow Clones** appeared. Two on either side of Anko. Two went out into the forest. As for the Ankos that were left, one went to both of the girls and the original Anko stepped over to Naruto.

"Let's get started."

The pairs split up, and went to different parts of the field.

* * *

"Alright, Pinkie. I'm gonna show you the basic strike to the **Serpent Taijutsu**, then you're gonna practice on another clone. Alright?"

Sakura nodded.

The Anko clone bent her knees and slid her foot backwards. She bent her torso until she was bent low. Another clone appeared in front of her and assumed the standard Leaf Taijutsu stance. It went in for a jab, but Anko's clone bent low and came up with her hand in the shape of a scalpel. She drove it into the enemy clone's throat and the clone began coughing and hacking before dispelling.

"See?" Anko raised an eyebrow. Sakura nodded.

"Take an approximate stance…"

* * *

"Patchy, I'm aware of your situation, and as such I'm gonna be teaching you my kenjutsu style. Now _this?_ This is my own creation. You're the first to ever learn it." Anko grinned. She reached into her trench coat and came out with a small weapon sheathe. It was about three inches long...but it ended in a ninjato hilt…

Anko took hold of the hilt and removed a full length ninjato from the scabbard. Then, holding the ninjato in her right hand, she reached into the other side of her trench coat and came out with a trench knife.

Raimei frowned at that.

"Now watch."

Anko flipped her ninjato into reverse grip and moved her arm behind her back, waist level. She also held the trench knife in reverse grip, but she extended this arm forward, and bent her torso as she spread her feet a bit and turned sideways slightly.

"This is **Leaf Cutter** **Style.**" Anko grinned atthe young kenjutsuist. Raimei gave a dubious look at the stance and trench knife.

"Come at me Patchy. Try and stick your blade in my skull. I'll show you why this is better than other style. " Anko raised an eyebrow. Raimei drew her ninjato and held it in a two handed grip. She stooped low and rushed at Anko.

'_Speeds not bad. Low chunin at worst.'_ Anko thought.

The jounin slid forward and ground her trench knife's knuckles against Raimei's ninjato before knocking it out of the way and getting inside her guard. Raimei froze. The genin felt cold steel against her skin. Anko's ninjato was at her calf and the trench knife was at her throat. The genin's breath hitched as she felt something warm run down her neck and Anko grimaced as she stepped backward and lowered her blades.

"Shit...you ok, Patchy?"

The girl put her hand to her throat and it came away slightly bloody. Not enough to be worried about though.

"Yeah, I'm fine sensei."

Anko stepped closer and looked at the cut before healing it with her medical ninjutsu. At Raimei's look she shrugged.

"Can't be to careful. Now, the advantage of this taijutsu is that it enables you to both disable a hostile's weapon and eliminate them in the same stroke. If you don't make a killing blow, than they're still without a weapon."

Raimei looked confused before Anko held up her trench knife.

"These are made of chakra conductive metals. If I had been channeling my chakra, then your ninjato would have shattered kiddo."

Raimei paled as she looked at her weapon. A small insignia of a crescent moon was on the base of the blade. Anko nodded.

"Yeah. I figured it was important to you."

Raimei looked to the right before swallowing.

"Do you know where I can get one of those knives?"

A packaged weapon was tossed in the air and Raimei caught it.

"You can take my spare so you can practice now. I've got like six at home. But don't break that one. They're friggin' expensive, and I ain't getting you another one." Anko winked at her and Raimei snickered as she began unwrapping the knife.

* * *

Anko stood with Naruto as the blonde faced a pair of nervous looking Anko clones. Naruto went throught hand sings and pair of shadow clones appeared and threw shuriken. Then all three Naruto's went through hand signs and shouted out a jutsu.

"**Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

The shuriken multipled into dozens and they tore into the Anko clones and the area around them. The cloned shuriken exploded into smoke when it was finished and all that was left were around a dozen originals.

"Not bad Blondie, " Anko nodded ", but you should train it to the point that you don't need clones to get that many. If you train this enough you can get hundreds from just a few shuriken. Hell, the guy who invented this jutsu was Sandaime-sama. That old man could get thousands from _one_."

Naruto turned to Anko with a stunned look in his eyes.

"This was one of Hokage-jiji's jutsu?"

Anko grinned and nodded.

'_Thought that might get your attention Naruto...'_

"In fact? It was one of his favorites. He liked to open nearly every fight with it."

Naruto's grin broadened and Anko mussed his hair then grimaced. Naruto frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Anko rubbed her arms.

"Nothin'. Those shuriken hurt, that's all."

Naruto looked confused.

"But...didn't the clones get hit with them."

Now Anko looked confused.

"Duh...but you know how **Shadow Clones **work. It still hurts a bit."

Naurto looked clueless and Anko tilted her head.

"You know? The memories?"

Naruto just blinked and Anko sighed as she put a hand to her forehead. She put her fore finger on Naruto's forehead with a smile.

"Stay right here, Gaki. I'll be right back."

Anko walked over to her pack and pulled out a pillow. Naruto raised an eyebrow. The jounin put her face in the pillow...and...screamed so loud that it made Naruto jump even if it was muffled. Then Anko put the pillow back in her pack and walked over to Naruto with a grin on her face.

"Ok! Quick rundown on the **Shadow Clone Jutsu**! This jutsu is popularly used for recon because _the memories return to the user!_"

Naruto's jaw dropped.

"So...this whole time…"

Anko grinned and rubbed her forehead.

"Yeah. You've been using the **Shadow Clone Jutsu **all wrong. Which doesn't matter because you have so much chakra, _but_ you could have also been using them to _train_! Everything from taijutsu to chakra control!"

Naruto stood still. Stunned. Then he walked over to Anko's pack, pulled out a pillow, put it to his face and screamed into it.

Walking back to his laughing teacher he sighed.

"So...Anko-sensei? Can I use them now?"

Anko looked at her watch.

"Actually Gaki, it's time to hit the sack. We covered taijutsu today, and you're pretty good, but we need to work on your speed. And the **Shuriken Shadow Clone** just needs chakra control. Just like everything else in your friggin' arsenal." Anko grinned as Naruto pouted. Apparently the Anko clones teaching Raimei and Sakura had noticed the time to, because they dispelled and the genins began walking back to the tents. Once they were all gathered up, Anko turned to the genin.

"Alright. I'll take first watch. You three get some sleep."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but Anko shot him a look.

"You three just trained your asses off for two hours. I'm taking first watch. You're going to get some sleep. Period."

Naruto looked like he wanted to fight, but nodded his submission. While the three genin crawled into their tents to get some rest Anko jumped up into a tree and sat on a branch. She popped a caffeine pill and turned out towards the darkness.

'_I have bad feeling all of a sudden...'_ The jounin thought as she stared out into the unending black.

* * *

**And that's a wrap! Next chapter will see our heroes arrive at The Land of the Sea! Will our heroes survive whatever dastardly villains await them there! Of course they will...I mean there's no point to the damned story otherwise...**

**Be sure to tune in next time to the adventures of me! Herbert Daring Dashwood! And my stalward ghoul manservant Argyle!**

**...I messed up again didn't I...how did I do this again...oh yeah!**

**Don't alert the horde! **

**Microzombie.**

**P.S. I don't own Fallout.**


	7. Sailors and CEOs

**Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls**** the story below is here because ****the author slaved over a hot CPU and then screamed into a cell phone to get his internet turned back on and the company was days late so he's kind of irritated. So irritated in fact that he is ready to throw his computer of the window. So shut your faces and read the thing. **

**Haha just kidding I love you guys.**

**Seriously though. My cable/internet company is absolutely terrible. I'm not going to say their name because then I'll get slapped with a lawsuit or something. But enough of my problems. You people came here for a Team Pariah chapter and by God/Obama/Joan Jett/Steven Tyler you're gonna get one! **

* * *

**And just to clear up some confusion: RAIMEI IS FEMALE**. **There seemed to be some confusion there so I need to clear that up. Clearly my writing skills need work if it wasn't clear...speaking of physical descriptions I still need that cover.**

* * *

**I don't own Naruto.**

**Be advised this chapter contains content of a mildly sexual nature, blood, and gore. They're not happening at the same time. Just thought I'd throw that out there what with _'Fifty Shades of Gray' _floating around out there.**

* * *

"How do I get myself into these messes?!"

An explosion rocked the building again as Naruto and Raimei dove into a hotel room to avoid the wave of water roiling through the hallway, sweeping several civilians away as it did so. Naruto cursed aloud and several clones popped into existence as they ran on the walls to retrieve the castaways.

"This sucks!" Raimei shouted as she took a sharks head off with her blade. Naruto ducked a jumping piranha and nodded as he picked a broom off of a hook and hit a salmon like a baseball, sending it out of the window.

"Get back you little bastards!" Raimei yelled rather comically as she swung a mop at the rest of the run of salmon.

"_Patchy, Blondie, what's your ETA?"_

Naruto keyed his radio as the water level in the hallway began decreasing.

"We're en route. Give us ten minutes."

"_Roger. Every minute past ten, is a minute I use to kick your ass. Out."_

Naruto sighed and ran his hand over his face as he looked out at the flooded town.

"How do I get myself into these messes?"

_TWENTY-FOUR HOURS EARLIER_

Team Seven was standing on the road outside a medium sized town bordering the sea.

"Now I want you guys to keep an eye open once we're in town. And pay attention to me. This is an information gathering mission. As a recon team we're gonna be doing quite a bit of this. The best places to pick up rumors are markets and bars. But before we do anything we're reporting to the mayor. Or lord. Or whatever the hell it is here…" Anko rolled her eyes at her team's snickers ",Let's go. And don't forget your gear again Blondie..."

Naruto mumbled something about having to double back _one time_ as the other genin snickered and Anko smirked. They walked into the village. Moments later Naruto jogged back out to pick his backpack up off of the rock it was leaning on.

* * *

Tsuki had never been really big into charity. After all, her family was nobility. There was no reason to associate herself with the lowly peasants. As her guards and servants carried her small one person carriage through the town she couldn't help but scoff at the merchants hawking their wares. As if the measly amount of money they made off of that would ever bring them happiness. They made it through the merchants district and came to her family's home. A large mansion enclosed by a stone wall. A pair of ashigaru with yari stood at attention next to the gate. Her carriage was gently set on the ground.

She waited for one of her servants to open the door and she stepped out. The ashigaru opened the gate for her and she stepped inside of her family's estate. Tsuki made her way upstairs and into her father's office.

"Father what could be so important as to pull me away from my time with Furido?" the sixteen year old huffed at the lord of the town. Keiji sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I want you here with me to greet some guests. I would ask that you treat them with respect."

Tsuki suddenly wondered who could be of such importance. Just as she was about to voice her question an ashigaru entered the chamber and bowed.

"Keiji-sama. Your guests have arrived."

Keiji nodded.

"Very well, send them in."

The ashigaru nodded before turning around and hustling out of the chamber. Tsuki went and stood to her father's right as Keiji went to sit on a mat. When the footsteps sounded outside the chamber, Tsuki leaned forward in anticipation. The doors were opened and Tsuki frowned and took on a bored look. She had been expecting the Fire Lord or someone. Instead she got four dirty looking commoners carrying weapons.. Three were teens younger than her. All four gave a military salute to her father.

"Keiji-sama. Konohagakure Genin Team Seven reporting for duty under the orders of Tsunade Senju-sama, Hokage of Konohagakure. I am Jounin Anko Mitarashi."

Tsuki was slightly miffed that they paid no attention to her. To exhibit this she scoffed.

"Common mercenaries, father? This is hardly important enough to bring me away from my business." The mercenaries stayed still, but she could see the irritation that entered the eye of the black haired girl with an eye patch and the boy with a bandana over his hair. The pink haired girl toyed with the flap of a container on her right thigh, seemingly unconcerned. The woman dressed like a whore simply stayed stock still.

"Tsuki! These are ninja from Konoha here to see to these pirates plaguing our shipping! They are here to impart violence on others on your behalf you would do well to show a little gratefulness." Her father scolded. Tsuki scoffed again, in a way that was clearly beginning to irritate _all_ of the ninja. Including the older woman with a slightly crazed look in her eye.

"A mercenary is a mercenary, regardless of allegiance to a leader. These peasants are here for our money. Nothing more."

Her father looked ready to scold here again, but the woman stepped in.

"Please excuse the interruption, Keiji-sama, but I'd like to set to work as soon as possible. My team and I will be gathering information today. I will make a report to you once we have more information on who is attacking the shipping lanes."

Keiji nodded.

"I appreciate your services Mitarashi-san. Do you have lodgings for the night?"

Anko nodded.

"We have made reservations at an inn, in town Keiji-sama."

"Well then I will see you when you have the information needed to annihilate whoever is attacking my ships."

Anko and her team offered another set of military salutes before turning around and leaving.

Tsuki scoffed once more and shook her head before leaving without acknowledging her father.

* * *

Sakura sat on the bed and watched with amused eyes as Naruto was standing in the entrance to their inn room, kicking the wall.

"Prissy little princess…"

Sakura turned her attention to Raimei who was rather irritatedly sharpening an already razor sharp kunai.

"Spoiled little brat...a pinch of potassium cyanide in your tea will fix you right up…"

Sakura turned to look at the girl incredulously. Raimei turned and raised an eyebrow.

"What? Not a lethal dose, just enough to induce a crap ton of discomfort…"

Anko was sitting in the window sill, reading an intelligence file of what they currently had on this "demon". The Jonin put down the file and looked to her team.

"Alright, that's enough of that. Let's get down to business."

The playful mood dissolved and all three genin looked to their sensei. Sakura pulled out a notepad and pencil from her backpack. Anko was serious as she looked at the ninja she was leading.

"From these reports we know this 'Demon of the Ocean' doesn't attack every ship which tries to leave the doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason to the frequency. The exact death toll from this 'demon' is zero. None of the ships' crews have ever been killed. Injured, yes. But never killed. But the reports of the survivors are off the wall. Some say this 'demon' is the size of a human, others say it is the size of a mountain. We have no clear intelligence on what this thing is. So, here it is. Naruto, Raimei, you two are going to go down to the docks and speak to the heads of the assorted shipping companies. See if you can find some clue as to why this thing acts the way it does. Sakura and I are going to head to a few bars and see what we can pick up from the sailors there. We meet back here at 1800. Got it?"

"Right!"

"Get going you two. Me and Pinkie are gonna stick around for a bit."

The three genin stood and nodded to Anko. Raimei and Naruto stood and walked out of the door, leaving Sakura and Anko in the room alone. Sakura looked at Anko.

"What are we waiting for sensei?"

Anko grinned.

"Ever gone to a block party, Pinkie?"

* * *

Zuko Chinma was sipping on his fourth beer as he looked at himself in the mirror behind the bar.

'_What was it? A girl...but then...who were those...I don't...I just...'_ Zuko's ship had been the latest attacked by the Demon of the Ocean. He'd come here with the rest of the crew to drink away their fear. Both of the Demon and of the strange men who'd threatened them if they said a word to anyone about what was happening on the ships. Zuko had stuck around even after the rest of the crew had left. The door of the bar opened and closed and Zuko looked over his shoulder to take a look at the newcomers. He blinked and then his lip curled in appreciation of the twins that had just entered. Most of the people in Umi no Kuni were black haired-black eyed, and the two purple hair on the two voluptuous women made them look exotic.

'_I wonder if that's natural...'_ Zuko's mind, soaked in liquor, continued taking in the women as they sat down at a corner table. Their matching mocha brown eyes on them found him and he grinned at them. One of them grinned back at him with a spunky look while the other looked sort of shy. Zuko stood and shakily walked over. He stopped next to the table and leaned in at the spunky looking woman.

"Mind if I sit?"

"Be my guest, sailor." her sensual voice drifted to him and he grinned again as he pulled up a chair and sat down. He leaned forward.

"Could I have the privilege of knowing the names of the two women I'm about to buy a round for?"

The shy one smiled slightly.

"I'm Tenshi, and that's my sister Kushi."

Kushi grinned at him sexilly again and Zuko felt a twitch in his pants.

"The name's Zuko."

Kushi got closer to him and smirked.

"That's a nice name sailor."

Another twitch.

The shy one suddenly gasped and Zuko looked at her. She leaned over, showing him her cleavage, and looked at the emblem on Zuko's sleeve.

"Were you on the _Keiri Maru_?!" she suddenly sounded excited and looked at him.

"Were you there when the Demon attacked?!"

Zuko swallowed the fear that suddenly filled his gut and he smirked at the sisters.

"Yup, but I'm not supposed to take about it. Orders, you see."

Kushi smirked sexilly again.

"I like brave men, sailor…"

Zuko looked back at her.

"I wish you'd call me Zuko."

Kushi got extremely close now and whispered huskily in his ear.

"Do you think you could get me to say your name? Come with us."

Kushi ran her hands up his chest as she got up and walked out, swaying her hips as he did so. Her sister followed her and Zuko got up and followed, almost drooling.

* * *

A bell rang as Raimei and Naruto walked into the offices of _East Winds Shipping Inc._

A receptionist was sitting behind a desk and appeared to be playing solitaire on her computer. Naruto walked forward.

"Excuse me miss, but we need to see Seijin-san."

The secretary flicked bored eyes to him before looking back at her computer.

"Do you have an appointment?"

Naruto looked at Raimei and the girl shrugged awkwardly.

"No…"

The secretary blinked.

"Then you will have to come back. The next available time slot is in the next six to nine weeks…"

Raimei huffed and walked up to the desk.

"We're ninja from Konoha whose job it is to get rid of this demon of yours. Now can we talk to the man or not?"

The secretary paled at the mention of the Demon and hit a button on her desk.

"Ah, Seijin-san."

A kind sounding voice came back.

"Yes, what is it Kinko?"

"A pair of Konohagakure ninja are here to see you. They say that they are investigating the attacks on our ships."

It took a moment but Seijin did come back.

"Well then what are you waiting for? Send them in!" The voice sounded excited. The secretary pointed to an elevator marked _executive_. The two ninja nodded their thanks and walked in before hitting the only button on the panel. Once the doors closed Raimei looked at Naruto.

"So...what do you think?"

Naruto looked at Raimei with a raised eyebrow.

"About?"

Raimei smirked.

"This demon crap."

Naruto shrugged.

"If Baa-chan thought there were any chance it were actually a demon I doubt she would have sent some genin. Maybe a summoning animal?"

Raimei pointed at him.

"That's assuming it's actually some creature."

NAruto looked at her confused.

"What do you mean?"

Raimei pointed to her head.

"Genjutsu can't destroy ships, but…"

Naruto smiled as the idea came to him to.

"But they can make you think a demon did…"

Raimei smirked and nodded as the doors opened to a long hall with a pair of ornate wood double doors at the end.

"This guy is really going for the rich guy stereotype isn't he? Private elevators, ominous super long hallways." Naruto bumped Raimei and the girl snorted as they walked forward. They came to the doors and pushed them open. Inside the office was actually rather simple. A desk, a few couches and a wood floor. Behind the desk was a middle aged man in an expensive two-piece suit. He looked up at them and at first smiled, then appeared confused, then he smiled again.

"Welcome, welcome! Please take a seat. I am Rikimaru Seijin, Chief Executive Officer of East Winds Shipping Incorporated. I take it you two are here to investigate the recent rash of attacks by this so called 'Demon of the Ocean'?"

Raimei sat down while Naruto remained standing. Raimei nodded in response to his question and then raised an eyebrow.

"Hello Seijin-san. I'm Raimei Kenrashi, my colleague here is Naruto Uzumaki. By the way you're speaking, I gather that you think this 'demon' is nonsense?"

Seijin smiled and shook his head.

"Please call me Rikimaru, Kenrashi-san. And actually the threat is quite real. I just don't put much stock in the stories told by my employees that it is a demon. Demons don't smash entire shipping vessels, but are still careful to leave the entire crew alive."

Raimei and Naruto looked to each other and then back to Seijin.

"Do you have your own theory then...er...Rikimaru?" Naruto decided to take a seat as well.

Seijin pulled a book from a desk drawer and put it on the desktop. Raimei and Naruto sweat dropped at the title.

_Ninja Arts for Dummies_

"This book talks about something called summons which are are capable of quite a bit of damage. I've come to assume that this is the cause." Rikimaru tapped his fingers on the book cover. Raimei looked at Naruto and then back at Seijin.

"Er...Rikimaru would you mind if we took a look at your records room? We'd like to see if there was any common cargo between the ships who have been attacked. Seijin nodded.

"If you go back down to the lobby, Kinko will be able to show you the way. Now if you'll excuse me I have a prior engagement that I'm already a bit late for. Good day, Kenrashi-chan, Uzumaki-san."

The CEO left the room and Raimei and Naruto followed after him moments later. By the time they were outside the office the elevator doors were closing and the two ninjas glared at the doors.

"I guess Mr. Shipping Magnate is too good to ride in the same elevator as us 'mercenaries'." Naruto's voice was annoyed. Raimei blew a lock of hair out of her face and looked at Naruto as the elevator doors re-opened.

"Did you see the way he was staring at me? Creepy bastard…"

Naruto chuckled.

"Don't worry, Raimei-chan. I won't let the evil rich dude get you."

Raimei punched him in the arm as they got in the elevator and rode to the lowest floor. They rode in silence until they heard a metal clank as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Raimei had opened her mouth to ask Kinko directions to the records room and then snapped it shut as huffed.

"I think I hate this guy…"

Naruto walked out of the elevator and his eyes widened at the sight of around nearly a hundred Otogakure ninja standing in front of them with weapons at the ready.

"Fuck my life…" Naruto muttered as he opened the flap on his kunai holster.

* * *

Zuko felt sick as he looked up at the woman with a sick grin on her face. After leaving the bar they'd brought him to an apartment and as soon as the door was locked "Kushi" had turned around and knocked him on his ass. Now he was tied to a chair and the spunky girl from the bar had become a strong looking woman that had an insane glint in her eye. He hadn't seen "Tenshi" again yet, but he had no doubt she was in on this to.

"So, Zuko-_kun_, tell me how this _demon_ looked again?" the woman, she was a shinobi if her headband was any clue, laid her hand on Zuko's shoulder and ran it down to where his hands were bound to a chair.

"Look...I...uh…"

The woman who had called herself Kushi scowled and gripped his wrist tightly.

"Chinma, you have information I want, you're going to give me that information. Whether you want to or not…"

Zuko swallowed as "Kushi" smiled again and began walking in circles around his chair. She did this for a while before pulling up a chair from a nearby coffee table. She turned it around and sat in it facing him, leaning on the back of the chair. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and an expensive looking lighter.

"You mind?" the woman smirked and put one of the cigarettes in her mouth. She lit it up and inhaled deeply as she put the lighter and cigarettes back in her pocket. When she exhaled she blew it in Zuko's face and he coughed slightly.

"Now look Chinma. This can go one of two ways. I can sit here with my handy dandy notebook," she pulled out a small notepad with a pen inserted in the spiral on top ", and listen to you spill your guts about this demon, about which I know that you know way more than you're letting on. _Or…_"

She reached inside her trench coat and produced a wicked looking serrated combat knife. Zuko paled.

"You can quite literally spill your guts. And _then_ I can sit here with my handy dandy notebook and listen to you tell me all of your secrets." She stabbed the combat knife into the nearby coffee table and then smiled before walking to the door.

"Your choice…"

The door shut with a quiet _click_ and Zuko sweated as the knife shined.

* * *

Naruto held a kunai in his left hand while his right was full of shuriken. Raimei was to his rear, doing her own observation. His eyes flitted over the Oto-nin. Behind them were dozens of wooden shipping crates. Crates too large to have come in through the elevator.

'_This basement must be linked to the docks…somewhere…'_

Looking around the blonde ninja didn't see any doors.

"Got a plan, Raimei?"

He heard a grunt behind him.

"So that's a _no_ then?"

"I take the left, you take the right." Raimei sounded deadpan. Naruto looked and his eye twitched.

"There are like twenty more on the right!"

"Saying you can't handle it?" he could hear the smirk in Raimei's voice and the blonde ninja growled.

"Fifty ryo says I take out mine before you finish yours."

A metallic hiss betrayed Raimei removing her ninjato from the sheathe on her back.

"You're on." Another smirk from the swordswoman. Naruto grinned and drew his hand holding the shuriken back as the Oto ninja tensed. He unclenched his fingers and charged forward as he let the shuriken fly. The blonde ninja slipped the kunai into his sleeve as he heard Raimei's feet pounding as she charged her own targets. Going through rapid-fire hand-signs Naruto yelled out the name of his jutsu.

"**Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** The six shuriken multiplied into hundreds and several surprised curses came from the Oto ninjas. Naruto slid to a stop just as the sound of clashing metal came from behind him. Raimei had reached her foes. Several of the slower Oto-nin took shuriken hits and cried out in pain, but they simply removed the weapons and a dozen came at Naruto. A vulpine grin stretched across the Konoha-nin's face and the quicker witted enemy ninja slid to a stop as the clone shuriken exploded into smoke and Naruto was obscured from view. Several more explosions sounded and a swear was heard from inside the smoke. As the smoke began to clear an Oto chunin's jaw dropped as he saw _hundreds_ of clones attacking them.

"He's just a genin! Get your act together!" A stern voice came over the Oto radio net and instilled some backbone in the Oto forces. A dozen attacked Naruto as a few others turned their vision over to the other Konoha genin.

Raimei was holding her ninjato in a two handed grip. She didn't yet have enough skill with the **Leaf Cutter Style** to use it combat, so she stuck to what she knew. She used both feet to kick an Oto genin off of her blade and then backed up to give herself some breathing room as she evaluated the enemy. She was more skilled than most of them, at least in kenjutsu. The Oto casualties bleeding on the ground attested to this. If the curses and explosions were any clue Naruto was having himself a good time in the smoke. This caused Raimei to come to one conclusion.

They were either cannon fodder, or they weren't yet supposed to be in combat.

Most of them used incomplete styles from any of the various Big Five ninja villages. Their weapons were in disrepair and those wielding them seemed out of practice. All of this culminated in them being cannon fodder. But Raimei and Naruto were only two people...well that wasn't necessarily true when it came to Naruto, he was his own army, but the fact remained. The Oto ninja were cannon fodder. But there was a _lot_ of cannon fodder attacking the Konoha ninjas at the moment.

Raimei flipped over a volley of kunai and then hamstringed a chunin who got to close. Leaving him to curse and groan in pain Raimei blocked a kunai with her ninjato and then whirled to sink her ninjato in a neck. Blood spurted into her single eye and Raimei slightly cursed as she backed away and tried to get the liquid clear of her vision. While she was temporarily blinded a couple of Oto-nin took the opportunity and threw kunai at her arm. One missed but the other sank two of the knives into her right arm and Raimei cried out in pain.

Ripping the knives from her arm she tested the extremity and found it painful, but useable. Growling in anger Raimei focused in on the pair of Oto genin and charged at them. One got smart and retreated to a larger group of his comrades, but the other ran to meet Raimei. A thin, barely visible blue field coated Raimei's ninjato and the genin absently wondered what it was as he raised a kunai to block the Konoha blade. The chakra coated blade went through his kunai like a hot knife through butter. He only had a split second to widen his eyes in surprise before Raimei diagonally bisected his head.

The Konoha ninja retreated backwards from her latest kill and hissed as her vision clouded slightly. The blood loss from her arm was worse than expected. She fell to one knee as her head began to feel light.

'_Shit…'_ Raimei cursed in her mind as the Oto-nin closed in, knocking her blade out of her hand. The last thing Raimei saw was the heel of a ninja sandal coming down at her head.

* * *

Naruto slit a throat and slid backwards before the spray could hit him in the face. The blonde ninja was panting. Most of the enemy ninja were relatively stupid and unskilled, but there was a single jounin in the enemy mob that was destroying his clones almost as quickly as he could make them. "Halt!" a foreign voice called out and drew Naruto's gaze to him. The enemy ninja parted and a single ninja walked forward. It was the jounin. And he had in his grasp, Naruto's one eyed teammate. The blonde growled at the man. Raimei hadn't been on the team long, but she was his comrade and friend.

The jounin actually sneered at Naruto, who was surrounded by enemy wounded and dead.

"Drop your weapons you little brat!"

Naruto growled again and gripped his kunai tightly and his eyes skirted around the room looking for some way out, something he could use to win, before his shoulders sagged. The dozens of Naruto clones dispelled and a metal _clang_ rang through the room as Naruto dropped his kunai. Several Oto ninja moved forward and bound his hands behind his back before a fist knocked Naruto unconscious.

* * *

**There's the fight scene you guys wanted. And it ends with the capture of two of our heroes...well...crap. So what do you guys think? To long? To short? Any characters seem overpowered? Let me know.**


End file.
